Spelman College is getting into the online education business.
The private, historically Black college for women announced Wednesday it is launching eSpelman, which will offer online education and certificates geared to working adult learners of all genders.
The Atlanta college is partnering with Guild Education, which works with leading employers to offer education and upskilling as an employee benefit. Guild earlier this week announced a similar partnership with Oregon State University.
The courses are being developed by Spelman faculty with Collegis Education, a technology services company that supports colleges and universities in developing learning experiences. Some courses will launch this fall for those looking to pursue state teacher certification. Others will come online in 2022.
The college said certificates in disciplines such as leadership, business essentials and project management, will be offered as well as teacher preparation, cosmetic science, diversity, equity, and inclusion, entrepreneurship and conversational Spanish.
Spelman is one of several HBCUs that is offering online education programs as a critical revenue stream. Morehouse College announced a similar effort earlier this year. A large percentage of Black professionals have enrolled at for-profit schools to enhance their credentials.
Spelman has a 77% six-year graduation rate, according to federal data, the highest of any HBCU and one of the highest of any women’s college.
“Spelman College has spent 140 years providing transformative educational experiences for Black women who have become global change agents. We’ve always believed in lifelong learning and are excited to expand and extend our offerings to adult learners who are looking to advance their careers, elevate their expertise or explore new fields,” said Spelman President Mary Schmidt Campbell. “As a college that consistently leads in numerous rankings from innovation and social mobility to liberal arts and STEM education, Spelman is creating a slate of online programming that will lead to credentials that catapult careers.”
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