For those anxious about committing to a master"s degree, there is the post-baccalaureate (学士后) certificate. Usually a four- to seven-course, self-contained certificate provides 1 academic study, or job-specific skills training, with a minimum 2 of time and money, and potentially significant payback.
Nearly 51000 people earned the certificate in 2010—a 46 percent increase in five years. For men, having the certificate adds an average 25 percent in earnings; for women, who tend toward less 3 fields such as teaching and health care, the 4 is an average 13 percent, according to research from Georgetown University"s Center on Education and the Workforce. About 3 percent of the workforce—or 4 million workers—have certificates.
Certificates are market-driven. Colleges and universities, alert to evolving workplace requirements (and business opportunities in higher education), 5 gaps in education and training that appeal to adult students looking for a way to stand out or retool (重新安排) their careers.
In some fields, especially health care, education, counseling, engineering and technology, certificates provide compulsory training for certain jobs or promotions, or make one 6 for higher pay scales. In other fields (arts management, interior design, public relations), the certificate shows interest and acquired knowledge in an area that is likely helpful in performing a job. Other certificates reflect 7 in areas so new, or quickly changing, that a demonstrated specialty can put a job applicant in front of the pack: homeland security, sports industry management. Some are purely 8 (African American studies), and some are training-specific (clinical research administration).
If you can think of a specialty or job skill you want, there is probably a certificate, and a school-on-ground or online—that will qualify you in the subject. But it is a buyer-beware marketplace, education experts say. A certificate can run into the thousands of dollars (American University"s 15-credit online digital media skills certificate costs $12000), so job 9 and schools should be researched before 10 on.
A. academic
B. boost
C. distinguish
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E. identify
F. insisting
G. investment
H. involvement
I. limitations
J. prospects
K. signing
L. specialized
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N. strengths
O. technical