The Challenge:
A university was looking for new ways to approach degree programs for career-focused professionals. Three broad industry sectors were identified as areas for exploration to learn where, within each sector, opportunities might exist for the university to develop new and/or enhance existing degree or certificate programs. Melior designed a study to identify program needs by understanding current industry trends, predicted workplace needs, and target market interest in various program ideas.
Melior’s Process:
Melior employed a multi-phased approach involving:
- A substantive environmental scan included discussions with key thought leaders in academia, government and commerce in each of the three areas to understand their views on “the state of the industry” and how universities can meaningfully contribute
- A survey of employers – human resources/hiring decision makers in companies ranging from Fortune 500 companies to leading industry start-ups – to understand their current and future workforce needs
- A quantitative assessment of prospective students to determine which types of degrees/programs and inter-disciplinary educational opportunities are of most value
The Outcomes:
Melior’s study findings contributed to the university’s planning and development of degree programs for both traditional and online delivery. The university’s programming committee is in the process of spearheading new initiatives across many disciplines and departments.
- 23 Nov 2016
- Education
