Ceu 10 Faqs

By Author: William Cook
Total Articles: 4762
Comment this article

CEUs, or Continuing Education Units, are a standard of measure utilized in educational programs. Perhaps most commonly, CEUs are used in programs required of professions who must achieve a particular number of learning credits to maintain licensure.

As the term CEU is public domain, many other programs have begun to utilize it as well. Colleges, universities, and other institutions now use the term to designate course credit within diploma programs, professional certification programs, and even for individual courses which fall outside of any defined program curriculum.

CEUs are offered from a variety of sources, including those available from colleges, universities, technical schools, and professional organizations. Many online programs and distance learning programs now exist to provide ease of access to CEU learning opportunities.

CEU structures and venues can vary dependent upon the source of the credit, and can include:
Traditional Courses - offered in a classroom setting.
Seminars - in a classroom setting, via course casts, online (webinars), or in a lecture series.
Self-Study ...
... Courses - offered through correspondence study or on the Web.
Diploma Programs - achieved through various means, including traditional classrooms, online, distance education, or a combination of any of these venues.
Professional Certification Programs - venues are comparable to diploma programs but may also include CEU credits achieved by the attending of seminars and webinars.

Diploma programs through colleges, universities, and technical schools allow students to complete a focused program of study in which courses are measured in CEU credits. At the completion of the program, students are awarded a diploma or certificate. These programs certainly carry value from a personal enrichment and life-time learning perspective, and can warrant consideration within the job market. Most do not, however, hold merit for degree program admission or apply for the purposes of professional certification.

Professional certification programs are those which offer CEUs as part of a larger program specifically designed to meet the criteria set forth for certification in or achievement of a particular professional designation. Many professional certification programs allow applicants to apply work experience as a prerequisite, forgo initial involvement in CUE courses, and simply sit for a hefty examination which if passed, results in the awarding of certified status for the test taker. Examples would be the Sr. Human Resources Professional (SPHR) and the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) designations. These are professional certifications which are recognized and highly regarded within their fields.

Many who achieve professional certifications have already completed a bachelors or other degree program with a college or university, only to continue their education through a CEU program later in life, and usually as part of their career path. After achieving a professional certification, one must complete a specified number of CEUs per year in order to maintain that certification, including those which are initially achievable via examination only.

Professional certifications often warrant greater consideration within the job market, as they imply a more extensive degree of knowledge. They also imply a better overall understanding of a rather complex field, including the everyday application of that knowledge within an active position of employment or other the application of the knowledge obtained, as is the case for professors and other educators who hold certifications.

When selecting CEUs, it is important to consider a number of factors, including goals associated with pursuing the CEUs. If that purpose is to later apply CEU credits to another higher education program, one should consider determining the transferability of the CEUs prior to investment in the courses. If the CEUs are being obtained within the larger scheme of achieving a professional certification, the student will want to determine if the CEUs are accredited by The International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), a national certification board responsible for the tracking and approval of continuing education.

With so many types of CEU courses and programs available, one can find almost any topic of study available for pursuit. The period for completion of a CEU will depend mostly upon the form and venue in which the credit is offered. Seminars and webinars, often worth half a CEU can take as little as one to two hours to complete. Other CEUs offered in more traditional classroom settings can be the equivalent of taking a standard semester-long college course, and usually measure anywhere between two and four CEUs.

Diploma and Professional Certificate Programs require a set number of CEUs be completed over a designated period of time. Students are often required to complete the program within six to 18 months to achieve certification. Programs vary in the number of required CEUs, and can vary greatly in cost as a result.

The complexity of the coursework involved in each individual CEU, as well as the venue in which the CEU is offered will impact the cost as well. On average, those CEUs outside of professional certification cost between $100 and $300 per unit. Professional Certification CEUs tend to be more costly, pricing $500 or more per unit. CEUs that are offered as part of lifetime learning or personal enrichment courses are by far the least expensive and often cost as little as $35 per unit.
About Author:
Ce4Less.com was founded to provide high quality continuing education such as a social work ceu at the lowest possible price. We have accomplished this through the use of the latest technology and a focus on customer satisfaction.