Graduate School, USDA
Encyclopedia
The Graduate School is an independent educational institution headquartered in Washington, DC with regional campuses around the United States. The Graduate School was created in 1921 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide adult continuing education
. It became an independent educational institution in February 2009.
Its stated mission is to "develop people and to make government more efficient and effective by offering a wide variety of classes and programs, ranging from government-based specialties such as governmental accounting and auditing, human capital management and acquisition to foreign languages, economics, leadership and landscape design." The school has approximately 200,000 participants per year in nearly 900 courses, including 300 evening and weekend courses.
It is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education
and is going to grant Associate Degrees in a growing number of curriculum areas.
Graduate School began negotiating a merger with neighboring Southeastern University
prior to Southeastern losing accreditation. As of 7 October 2009, the matter remains unresolved awaiting a final agreement with Federal officials regarding fines incurred by Southeastern.
The organization is composed of several programs, including:
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
. It became an independent educational institution in February 2009.
Its stated mission is to "develop people and to make government more efficient and effective by offering a wide variety of classes and programs, ranging from government-based specialties such as governmental accounting and auditing, human capital management and acquisition to foreign languages, economics, leadership and landscape design." The school has approximately 200,000 participants per year in nearly 900 courses, including 300 evening and weekend courses.
It is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education
Council on Occupational Education
The Council on Occupational Education or is national institutional accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education. Originally founded in 1971 as a regional accrediting agency of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, COE became a national accrediting agency in 1995...
and is going to grant Associate Degrees in a growing number of curriculum areas.
Graduate School began negotiating a merger with neighboring Southeastern University
Southeastern University
Located in southwestern Washington, D.C., in the United States, Southeastern University was a private, non-profit undergraduate and graduate institution of higher education that lost its accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education on August 31, 2009. The Commission reported...
prior to Southeastern losing accreditation. As of 7 October 2009, the matter remains unresolved awaiting a final agreement with Federal officials regarding fines incurred by Southeastern.
The organization is composed of several programs, including:
- Daytime Courses—classes targeted to the needs of the governmental and non-governmental organizations
- Evening and Weekend Courses—noted for its foreign language classes
- Global Solutions—The International Institute, as "the global arm of the Graduate School," administers grant programs on behalf of the International Visitor Leadership ProgramInternational Visitor Leadership ProgramThe International Visitor Leadership Program is a professional exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State Office of International Visitors in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The purpose of the program is to help build mutual understanding between citizens of the U.S....
of the U.S. Department of State, the Open WorldOpen worldAn open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
program of the Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
), the Pacific Islands Training Initiative and the Virgin Islands Training Initiative of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and USAID staff development.
- The Center for Leadership and Management conducts leadership and management courses, long term leadership programs, and leadership effectiveness assessments.