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So Many Choices by Karen Reed-Matthee

You’re tired of being confined to an office eight hours a day and desire a more flexible, less predictable job. Could be you’re an attorney who’s always wanted to be a chef. Perhaps your kids are all grown and out of the house and you’d like to return to the workforce but feel your skills are sadly outdated. Or you have children at home and want to complete a degree while still caring for your family. If any of these scenarios apply to you — in one way or another — you can rest assured that there’s a program here in Seattle to meet your needs. And if there isn’t, plenty of schools are willing to tailor one just for you. Check out our list of colleges, universities and specialized education programs that can help you finish a degree, start or transition to a new career, or acquire the skills or certificates needed to move up the ladder — pretty much on your terms.

ACCOMPLISHMENT COACHING
This program is one of only 41 worldwide to achieve the designation of Accredited Coach Training Program by the International Coach Federation. Students are trained to be effective and powerful executive or life coaches in 12 intensive weekends, followed up with support for developing their own businesses. Each student works one-on-one with a personal coach at the monthly training sessions, as well as one hour a week for 12 months. For more information, visit www.AccomplishmentCoaching.com or call 888-548-6813.

ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY
This trendsetting nonprofit institution focuses exclusively on adult learners, 70 percent of whom are women. Whether you’re pursuing graduate studies or completing a bachelor’s degree, small classes, strong support from faculty and flexible programs will help you meet your goal. The style of learning here is collaborative, with an emphasis on innovative experiential learning and socially engaged citizenship. “Very often people come here because they want to make a difference,” says marketing director Lori Dugdale. At Antioch, you can complete a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts; obtain education degrees and preparation for state teacher certification; attain graduate degrees in applied psychology, counseling and family therapy; or choose from graduate programs in environment and community, management, organizational psychology, strategic communication or whole systems design in the Center for Creative Change. Open houses: July 14 – 17. 2326 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, 206-441-5352, www.antiochsea.edu.

ARGOSY UNIVERSITY
Whether you’re interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree, a master’s degree or starting a doctoral degree, an Argosy education is relevant, accessible and flexible. Argosy offers undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate degrees in the disciplines of business, education and behavioral sciences. If your focus is business, the school recently added certificate programs in corporate compliance, finance, health care, information systems, international business, management and marketing. With weekend, evening and online classes, programs are geared toward working professionals. Eighty percent of the students are women. Open house: July 22. 2601-A Elliott Ave., Seattle, 283-4500, seattle.argosyschools.com.

BASTYR UNIVERSITY
Respected internationally for its science-based natural health programs, this private, nonprofit university offers a range of graduate and undergraduate programs including naturopathic medicine, acupuncture and Oriental medicine, nutrition, health psychology, exercise science and herbal sciences. “We want our students to be integrated into the larger health care community,” says Assistant Director of Admissions Karen Reeder. “There’s a place for everyone.” Most naturopathic students and some nutrition students complete a B.A. before enrolling at Bastyr, she says. The intensive three-and-a-half-year acupuncture program has its own sets of requirements and is like a combination B.A. and M.B.A. program, after which students take board exams and become licensed. Two informational evenings, Bastyr Experience geared to naturopathic students, and Evening at Bastyr where visitors can meet with faculty, are scheduled for August. Check the school’s Web site, www.bastyr.edu for exact dates. 14500 Juanita Dr. NE, Kenmore, 425-823-1300.

BELLEVUE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Bellevue’s focus is on health care, informational technology and business services. “We target programs that prepare people for jobs,” says Paula Boyum, the college’s vice president of workforce development. BCC is one of the few community colleges to have a baccalaureate program in the radiation and imaging sciences. Business students can earn their associate degree and transfer to a public university to earn their bachelor’s degree in business, and Eastern Washington University has a business B.A. program right on the same campus. BCC is the state center of excellence for information technology, says Boyum, noting, “One of our goals is to encourage women and girls to enter the IT sector.” A number of programs address the needs of parents and working adults, and a strong career center and internship program help students prepare for the future. 3000 Landerholm Circle SE, Bellevue, 425-564-1000, www.bellevuecollege.edu.

CASCADIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Placed number 2 in the nation by Washington Monthly in its ranking of “America’s Best Community Colleges,” Cascadia emphasizes collaborative learning with a lot of personal attention from instructors and small classes arranged to facilitate working in groups. A dual enrollment program with the University of Washington, Bothell (on the same campus), allows students to take upper level courses at the UW while pursuing an associate degree. This fall the college will begin a new associate and applied science degree called Environmental Technologies and Sustainable Practices. 18345 Campus Way NE, Bothell, 425-352-8000, www.cascadia.ctc.edu.

CITY UNIVERSITY
City University of Seattle is a private nonprofit institution of higher education. Founded in Seattle in 1973 as City College, the school was one of the nation’s first to address the needs of the working adult. The university awards degrees and certificates at the undergraduate and graduate levels in dozens of academic fields, and offers a varied and extensive program of continuing education. It also conducts a worldwide distance education program to better serve those who need or prefer to study for their degrees at home. 11900 NE First Street, Bellevue. Toll-free: 888-422-4898 or 425-637-1010, www.cityu.edu.

EURO INSTITUTE OF SKIN CARE
The Euro Institute of Skin Care is committed to providing exceptional holistic esthetics training to students seeking to become licensed estheticians and to licensed estheticians desiring advanced training. Founded 20 years ago by Annemarie Camenzind, a native of Switzerland, it is a structured and disciplined school requiring a high level of commitment and self-responsibility. Traditional European and naturopathic techniques are taught using the finest professional skin care products and equipment. “It’s very intensive and body, health and spirit minded,” says Euro Institute instructor and marketing director Bethanie Fritz. “We’re training students for jobs in the best spas in the world,” she says. With six full-time classes and several night courses, each averaging about 20 students, the school strives to accommodate a variety of schedules. Open houses: July 21, Aug. 18 and Sept. 22 from 6:45 – 8:00. 10904 SE 176th Street, Renton, 425-255-8100, www.euroinstitute.com.

NORTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
In addition to programs that prepare students to transfer to four-year colleges and universities, NSCC offers more than 40 career-training programs and has a robust selection of continuing education and college preparation courses. NSCC is particularly strong in the health and medical arena, offering certificates and two-year degrees in the professions of nursing, medical assisting, emergency medical technician, pharmacy technician, and IT for health care, says marketing director Carol Summers. It is the first college in the state to offer an Associate of Applied Science-T degree in Nanotechnology, an emerging multi-disciplinary field that is expected to add thousands of jobs to the country’s economy in the next 15 years. The A.A.S.-T degree combines elements of materials science, chemistry, biology and physics, electronics and engineering, and will prepare students to enter a wide range of materials-based industries. Also unique to NSCC is its Watch Technology Institute which, in partnership with the internationally recognized Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program (WOSTEP), offers a two-year full-time watch repair course. The college also touts its for-credit real estate program, and it now offers people already in the business a chance to become a built-green certified professional. 9600 College Way North, Seattle, 206-527-3600,
www.northseattle.edu.

SEATTLE CENTRAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
A big draw on this campus is the 38,000-square-foot Creative Academy, a hands-on collaborative environment on the fifth floor for students in graphic design, commercial photography and publishing arts programs. Also popular is SCCC’s culinary arts school; the college is preparing to launch its Culinary Academy, with a state-of-the-art facility and programs aimed at producing the chefs of tomorrow. Appealing to Project Runway wannabes is the full-time, six-quarter apparel design & services program offering an associate of applied science degree and preparing students to work in the garment industry. Seattle Central also has a woodworking center where students can specialize in carpentry, boat building and fine cabinet making, and a Maritime Academy for those interested in a career running or maintaining a ship. In Seattle Central’s biotechnology program, the first of its kind in the region, students work in the new $26 million Science and Math Building toward an A.A.S. degree that prepares them to work in an academic or industrial laboratory. 1701 Broadway, Seattle, 206-587-3800, www.seattlecentral.edu.

SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Women will find a number of resources at Shoreline to support their academic success as well as personal growth and career-building skills. Students are welcome to the Women’s Center (all community colleges have one) anytime during college business hours where they receive one-on-one help finding college and community resources such as child care services and interviewing skills. The WorkFirst program is designed to assist low-income parents achieve their educational and employment goals. WorkFirst students may enroll in classes from any of the college’s 52 professional technical education programs leading to a certificate or associate degree, as well as other programs such as customized job skills training, computer literacy, GED, English as a second language, adult basic education or other short-term training programs. Women can join a number of clubs and organizations at Shoreline CC that provide opportunities for personal and professional growth. Members of the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance cosponsor college events that offer social, cultural, recreational and educational experiences such as the Clothesline Project that calls attention to violence against women. Women also can find opportunities for personal growth via intramural and intercollegiate sports. 16101 Greenwood Avenue North, Shoreline, 206-546-4101, www.shoreline.edu.

SOUTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
It’s now possible to complete some four-year degrees on the SSCC campus, including a Bachelor’s of Applied Science in Hospitality Management. Through Heritage University, a partner institution, students can earn a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Master in Teaching degree. And through Eastern Washington University, a Bachelor of Science in Technology can be obtained. A.A.S. degrees and certificates available through the Professional and Technical Education Department are designed for students who want to prepare for immediate employment. The many and varied program offerings include aviation maintenance technology, commercial driver training, diesel and heavy equipment technology, nursing, landscape horticulture, welding fabrication and wine technology. Through a partnership with Gatlin Education, South Seattle CC offers flexible, online preparation courses for IT certifications taught by experienced professionals. 6000 16 Ave. SW, Seattle, 206-768-6684, www.southseattle.edu.

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, BOTHELL
The M.B.A. Program at the University of Washington, Bothell is designed for professionals in technology-oriented businesses. Learning is enhanced through an innovative 22-month evening curriculum; award-winning faculty; opportunities for personal achievement; and professional networking with students, alumni, and community business leaders. The M.B.A. is a valuable asset to the professional development of technology managers, managers from a wide variety of fields, and those who aspire to manage. The program features a unique cohort structure with classes primarily on Monday and Wednesday evenings. There are monthly M.B.A. information sessions July 1, August 6, and starting in September, every first Thursday, with an M.B.A. Open House on November 15. To register or learn more, go to www.uwb.edu.

UWB also has a Center for Student Entrepreneurship, established to help students become successful entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial employees. Over 35 companies have been birthed out of CSE-affiliated students and alums. Several alumni companies representing a variety of fields — information technology, financial lending, dance, specialty foods, clothing, manufacturing — are CSE partners. The center is guided by an advisory board that reviews and helps coordinate the priorities and activities of the center. In addition, an entrepreneurship fund has been established to support student startups with small seed grants and guidance. Contact CSE Director Alan Leong, leonga@u.washington.edu, 425-352-3259.

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH
Whether you’re looking to change careers, advance in your current profession, or explore your personal passion, UW Educational Outreach offers more than 150 programs designed and scheduled for working adults. Students can choose between day, evening, weekend and summer programs in the classroom or online without formal admission to the university. Outreach options include evening degree programs; professional master’s programs; evening certificate programs; short courses, workshops and conferences; free online mini-courses; and access to hundreds of UW courses without formal admission. Campuses are in Seattle, Tacoma and Bothell. www.extension.washington.edu/ext.

Karen Reed-Matthee is editor and co-founder of Seattle Woman.

©2008 Caliope Publishing Company