New year, new skills: upgrade your career from home or in the workplace in 2021

The world may be slowing down and staying home but that doesn't mean one's career aspirations should grind to a halt.

If this is the year you promised yourself you'd take your professional qualifications to the next level, Prague College is launching several new degrees focused on professional development which can be completed from home and on the job.

“When people face difficulties making career progress it's often because they lack postgraduate qualifications, which can be tough to pursue due to work obligations,” said Stefano Cavagnetto, head of Prague College’s School of Business.

Dr. Stefano Cavagnetto, head of Prague College’s School of Business. — Dr. Stefano Cavagnetto, head of Prague College’s School of Business

Two new degrees from the college's School of Business, a Master's Degree in Strategic Human Resource Management and in Leadership and Strategic Management, have emerged in response to this dilemma.

"Over the previous year, Prague College’s School of Business has hosted talks with leading professionals and academics in the UK and Europe to discover areas where employee skill sets need boosting," said Cavagnetto. The new degrees were designed specifically to teach those who aspire to senior management roles how to be more effective leaders.

Both new degrees offer a real-life HR or leadership project conceived between the student, their academic adviser, and employer. This office-based project allows students to directly implement what they've learned into the workplace.

“It’s a unique approach to study that recognizes work experience as part of the actual degree rather than simply using it as a qualification to get into a program,” Cavagnetto added.

Cavagnetto said that the programs allow students to effectively balance work and study while being able to directly apply what they are learning at the office.

International Management Class — International management class

“The format of instruction and the type of assessment is tailored to industry needs, so students can blend practical and theoretical knowledge to gain a broader understanding of the management fields,” Cavagnetto said.

He added that while traditional MBA programs focus on generic learning, the fast track is focused on the individual career path and practical workplace challenges.

These Master's Degrees can be completed in as little as 12 months; the entire program is two semesters, plus a dissertation.

The right time for online learning

Once viewed as a weaker substitute for learning on campus, online degrees are gaining on their traditional counterparts amid the pandemic both in the Czech Republic and the world at large.

Prague College, which has two physical campuses in the Czech capital, was an early adopter of distance learning. The college has been offering both on-campus and online courses toward several degrees and professional qualifications for over a decade.

“It's an ideal time to consider further education after a year of uncertainty, the long-term effects of which are quite unpredictable," said Prague College marketing manager Larissa Petryca who added that the college has several other online degrees.

Students can consider global blended Master's degrees in International Management and Computing and a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, and Computing from the college's distance-learning offerings.

The "blended" aspect is what separates Prague College’s programs from other distance learning programs, said Petryca. "Students enjoy residential blocks (one week or 2 weekends) each semester which give them the opportunity to meet with professors and other students for face-to-face teaching and networking."

Prague College Computing class — Prague College computing class

These programs can be studied regardless of where you are based, with the majority of teaching undertaken online. Classes and consultations are set outside of working hours and over weekends to accommodate work commitments.

Undertaking a degree fully online that relates back to the student's workplace can be of real benefit to them and their organization, said Petryca.

The college also offers conversion programs in business and computing that allow a student to shift from their previous Bachelor's specialization to a new concentration. Someone with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, for example, can switch to a Master’s Degree in Computing or International Management.

All Prague College degree programs offer a hands-on approach to learning using practical projects, fieldwork, live projects, business simulations, and global and local case studies, as well as ongoing contact with the industry via lecturers and guest speakers who deliver relevant research-based teaching.

The new semester starts Feb. 22, and there is still time to enroll. A fall semester starts in September 2021. A virtual open day will take place on Jan. 19 for those who are interested in speaking with admissions and taking the first step towards career advancement.

This article was written in association with Prague College. Read more about our partner content policies here.