Wichita State offers opportunities for every stage of your journey
President Rick Muma
Education is one of the most powerful ways to invest in yourself. It opens doors and equips you for the next challenge. At Wichita State, we’re proud to offer flexible, accessible options to help you keep growing — no matter where you are on your journey.
This isn’t just by happenstance, it’s a part of our enrollment management plans and what it means to be an Age-Friendly University Global Network member, which demonstrates our commitment to meeting the personal, educational and career needs of adults of all ages and to creating age-inclusive environments on our campus.
In fact, the educational journey looks different for everyone. Some change careers or simply keep learning. No matter the path, Wichita State offers opportunities that fit different needs and lifestyles.
That could mean earning a degree, picking up a professional certificate or completing a short, skill-based program. It could mean returning to finish what was started or exploring a new interest just for the love of learning.
Here are a few ways Wichita State is making education more flexible and accessible:
- Spero: Launched by the Barton School of Business in 2024, Spero, Latin for “hope,” helps participants — especially those new to the workforce — develop the skills needed to build meaningful careers. With input from 22 companies, it offers microcredential program tracks in entrepreneurship and career readiness, which are first in the world 1EdTech TrustEd Micro-credential certified programs.
- Badges: These short online courses provide a pathway to build specific skills and demonstrate expertise — without the time commitment of a full degree.
- Academic certificates: Designed for those looking to take a deeper dive into a particular field, these certificates offer specialized knowledge that can advance careers or open new opportunities, and in some cases can be stacked toward completing a degree.
- Returning to WSU: If you started an undergraduate program but the degree wasn’t quite finished, consider the Shocker Comeback program, which helps returning students navigate re-enrollment, access financial support and get back on track toward earning a degree. And if you’ve already earned your undergrad, consider a graduate program.
- Lifelong learning: This program allows adults 60 and older to take credit courses free of charge. Topics range from history and art to science and current events.
- Community education: Through noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment, Wichita State’s Community Education program offers fun, affordable ways to learn something new — from cooking and photography to fitness and personal finance. These classes are open to learners of all ages and backgrounds, with no tests, no grades and no pressure — just the joy of discovery.
At Wichita State, we believe we never stop learning. Whether pursuing a degree, gaining new skills or exploring a new subject, Wichita State is here to support you every step of the journey.
Go Shockers!
Dr. Rick Muma
President of Wichita State University