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Welcome to Capella
Select your program and we'll help guide you through important information as you prepare for the application process.
Why professionals need a competency-based education
As an adult student, your time is valuable. You want to reach your career ambitions as quickly as possible, and the best way to do that is to learn from the experts. That’s why all of our programs are designed in consultation with industry leaders, so you can learn the most sought-after skills in your field.
To create our curricula, we consult:
- Respected employers
- Professional associations
- State licensing boards
- Professional accreditors
- Scholar-practitioner faculty
The benefits of a competency-based education
Career-crafted curriculum
By consulting those who shape the industry, our courses are built around the expectations of high-performing workers.
Gain practical knowledge and skills
You're not tested on how well you memorize facts. You're assessed on how well you apply your knowledge of key competencies.
Apply what you learn today
Because your courses consider the current and future needs in your industry, you can quickly apply what you’re learning to your career.
"I didn’t want to become stagnant in my professional life and, honestly, I went into the program thinking I’ll get my MBA. I’ll use it later in life. And it turned out I was using the program as I was going through it, and I didn’t have to wait to use the skills I was learning. I was able to apply them immediately."
Actual Capella student who agreed to appear in our promotional materials.
What is competency-based education?
In Capella's competency-based curriculum, you’ll gain valuable skills that are needed to succeed in your chosen field. These include university outcomes that reflect general employability skills, program learning outcomes for your discipline or profession, and course competencies.Rather than cramming for a test, you’ll be asked to demonstrate specific skills and abilities. As you move forward in your studies, you continue to build a strong foundation of knowledge and competencies that you can apply to your career.
The elements of competency-based education at Capella
- Assessment: An assignment that measures your knowledge through practical application. For example, you may be asked to build a business case or make recommendations based on a company’s quarterly reports.
- Competencies: Knowledge and skills that students are expected to gain from a course. To move on, students must demonstrate mastery of a those skills.
- Criteria: The elements in an assessment that students will be evaluated on. These are outlined in the assessment rubric.
- Grading: Students are graded/evaluated based on how well they demonstrate each of the criteria.
- Competency map: A personalized dashboard that shows students their academic progress on each competency. This helps to identify strengths and areas that needs more focus.
A formula for success
As an adult with a lot of responsibilities, you can’t put your life on hold to go back to school. By offering competency-based curricula and two learning formats to choose from, Capella provides a flexible, affordable way for working professionals to earn a degree that’s designed to fit into your life.
Competency-based education in action
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