Kirley School of Continuing Education

Management/Marketing Degree Completion Student Class 2025

I am in School full-time at Elms, and I also work a full-time job working for a local non-profit organization.

I decided to go back to college for personal growth and to boost my career. Getting that 4-year degree has always been a goal of mine, and I believe education can lead to exciting opportunities. In my job, I would like to enhance my skills and set myself up for future success. I really enjoy what I do, and having that degree could open up a lot of doors for growth within my organization. I have big goals for my career!

I chose Elms because of a unique journey that started over 10 years ago in the business transfer program. Though life did take me in a different direction, I earned a two-year degree in graphic design, which surprisingly complements the business field quite well! The decision to return to Elms was definitely influenced by my positive experiences with the professors and admin during my initial college years. They absolutely left an impression! Everyone is so nice!

The acceptance after a 10-year gap felt like a homecoming, and since my return, I’ve witnessed personal and academic growth. I can really feel the changes within my current position. The supportive environment, combined with the college’s curriculum and accessibility to the online program, created the perfect setting for my educational journey. As a busy mom and full-time worker, I truly believe that choosing Elms has been the best decision!

Elms has been nothing short of amazing. A real game-changer in my college journey. It’s living up to all expectations and then some. The workload is extensive, but it’s that perfect balance where your effort pays off. The online structure feels like managing my own work caseload and they provide all of the tools and support, but success is entirely in are hands. Communication with the professors is excellent as They’re always on the ball with timely responses.

The course material is practical and related to my everyday life. I’ve already experienced positive shifts in my career. The difficulty level keeps you engaged but without overwhelming you. As a full-time mom and full-time worker, Flexibility has been an important factor in accommodating my work/life balance. It’s been a great journey so far! I am not going to say that it is easy, but it has definitely been worth it so far!

As I had mentioned earlier, I am yet to graduate from Elms, but I will be completing my degree in 2025. Even though I still have some time to go, I am already experiencing changes in my career. Honestly, I don’t think I would change anything at this moment. Everything seems to be going great, and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity.

I am thrilled to attend Elms College as I believe it will be a very rewarding experience once completed. There is something different about this college, and I am convinced that it will make a difference in my career. Before starting, I thought that all I needed was a four-year degree to move up the ladder in my company. However, now I can confidently say that choosing this college was an amazing decision. I have already witnessed positive changes since I started, especially in relation to the business/management program.

I have already started recommending this program to colleges because of its well-structured courses. It is particularly beneficial for those who are already established in their careers but need a degree to move up. The program is non-judgmental, and the caseload is manageable (Strict but Manageable), making graduation very achievable. I also wanted to mention that I have graduated twice, but with associate degrees and have never had the opportunity to walk across the stage. I am excitedly waiting for the moment when I can finally do that!

Bachelor of Science, Social Work
Employed as a clinical social worker in Troy, New York

I enrolled in Elms College’s Bachelor of Social Work degree completion program in 2020. At the time, I already had a master’s degree in another field, but I wanted to change careers and enter the field of social work. I was advised that to pursue my master’s, I would first need to earn my bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW).  Elms allowed me to take only the BSW classes that I needed for my degree. This was all during COVID and I was able to take my classes remotely.

I was able to earn my BSW and then go on to pursue my master’s degree. Elms provided me with a firm foundation to build upon. I applied at several graduate schools with Master’s in Social Work programs and was accepted at all of them. Elms has a good reputation for academics at other schools.

I enjoyed my time at Elms. Classmates were from a wide variety of backgrounds throughout New England, and I enjoyed interacting with them. I found the coursework to be challenging, and I certainly improved my writing skills. 

I found all of my professors to be very good and engaging, especially Tom Verdi and Jessica Morris. Tom was my academic advisor and I took a great deal of my courses with Jessica, so I naturally got to know them well. Both Tom and Jessica were superb instructors who were able to connect their knowledge to real-world experience.

I am pleased to have attended Elms and I would recommend it to others. I liked the fact that it was a small program and most of the students were able to get to know each other. For a small college, it does a good job of linking liberal arts to more practical, marketable professions. It might not be fashionable to admit this, but students today are often economically stressed and need to know there is a good chance their studies will lead to a job. Centrally located in Chicopee, which allows networking throughout New England.