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If you aspire to be a geek, where do you begin? Be warned - it’s not all glamour, glitz and long nights playing multiplayer games and shooting strangers from Norway - it’s hard work. You have to be clever and quick-thinking, but sorry, having a degree is pretty damned important, too.
If you’re already working and just want to switch gears, don’t let me scare you off! There are programs designed just for working adults, many hosted completely online, that could launch you in your new career. Employers are becoming much more accustomed to seeing folks with those “different” types of degrees. The stigma is long gone. In fact, according to Jack and Suzy Welch of Business Week, “To count out a candidate based on an online degree may be shortsighted. People working all day and studying online all night have the kind of ‘grrr’ most companies could use.” So, gear up your “grrr.” I recently scouted around looking for a good geek Master’s in Instructional Technology and I found out some good stuff about some Kansas schools. Check them out.
Wichita State University
www.wichita.edu
Manage projects and people in the biz with a Management Information Systems, Bachelor’s undergraduate degree from Wichita State, and learn code from C++ to Visual Basic .NET. Unfortunately, if you aren’t a typical 18-year-old that can take out a loan and have the stereotypical college experience, you’re toast - it’s not offered online. Click on over to check out whether class times work with your work responsibilities. Bonus: Shocker basketball from the student section!
Cowley College
www.cowley.edu
I admit it - I’m biased. I work for Cowley in my other, non-freelance-writing life, and I know the Associate of General Studies in Web Design is offered online and is pretty kick-ass. Lots of basics are offered from HTML coding to computer graphics to Web server administration. Online means you get to “go to class” when you want. No need to quit your job or beg the boss for a long lunch with this one. Cool teachers, too, who actually work in the field – not just theory-filled folks who have never programmed a style sheet, much less touched a server. Downside: If you plan to get a four-year bachelor’s degree, you’re only halfway there when you finish at Cowley.
Fort Hays State University’s Virtual College
www.fhsu.edu
Fort Hays is really gaining a reputation (and students from around the world) as a leader in the virtual education world. Like Cowley, you get to take all of your classes completely online with an Information Networking & Telecommunications or Web Development degree. Bonus: Well-respected degree from a well-respected university that also has a reputation for being one of the country’s top party schools. I hear the virtual beer is always nice and cold.
Friends University
+www.friends.edu
I lucked out and got my degree in e-commerce management at Friends back in the days of the dot-com boom. Nowadays, they have computer technology courses that cover a wider range of topics and foundational knowledge of the IT world. Held in the evenings, one night per week, classes take place at the main campus and are much better suited to adults than some other traditional programs. It offers a lot of the same benefits as online learning, but you get to put your butt in a real seat. Not an “adult” student? They also have a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Information Systems that has churned out some quality geeks in town. Bonus: Friends University is just about the only football game in town. You can check out the team (which heads to the playoffs regularly) while earning your degree.
Wichita Area Technical College
www.watc.edu
Want to be a geek and just not ready yet? Do you still have trouble downloading files or just mastering the basics (Excel always stumps this Web geek, I have to admit)? The Wichita Area Technical College is the place to start, or enhance, the geekdom. You can pick up a course on specific programs, get certified, or even get your degree - an Associate of Applied Science. And you know what? It’s a lot cheaper than hitting a four-year institution AND located right in town. You can’t beat that.
Butler COunty Community College
www.butlercc.edu
Someone at Butler knows the Web. This is one of the more savvy institutions in town that knows how to use the Internet to market well. Not to mention, classes online and Web-enhanced are available once you enroll. They definitely practice what they preach, and rumor has it that they have one of the best IT Help Desks around. And a bonus - they teach 3D animation classes that are a bit beyond your basic Flash course. Gaming geeks, this might be the campus you want to descend upon!
Your First Website:
How to Take Your Business Online
Learn the benefits, pitfalls and procedures of creating your first website. We will discuss the climate of the Internet today, the opportunities that it can provide for your business, and how to build your online presence.
Friday, October 10, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
WSU Hughes Metro Complex, Oliver and 29th
Cost: $20 in advance or $30 the day of the workshop
Driving Visitors to Your Website
Do you need ideas on how to drive more traffic to your website? Do you need to cut through the confusion and learn the facts about how to raise your search engine rankings? Learn the real deal about website promotion through proven tactics that will work for your business such as paid advertising, search engine optimization, social networking, and viral marketing.
Friday, October 10, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
WSU Hughes Metro Complex, Oliver and 29th
Cost: $20 in advance or $30 the day of the workshop
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