SCPS Through the Decades
A brief look at the School's history provides insight into how SCPS developed in response to economic and cultural trends and the educational needs of adult students in New York and the region.
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| The School begins as the Division of General Education (DGE). During the Depression years, when almost 25% of the U.S. workforce is unemployed, DGE responds with training programs for the new social workers in the Temporary Emergency Relief Association, the city’s public welfare agencies, and the Home Relief Bureau. As the city emerges from the Depression, DGE creates the Washington Square Writing Center, the Center for Graphic Design, and begins its first art workshops. | Shortly after World War II, in response to increasing demand for skills, training, and for-credit courses, DGE develops, among other new programs, a Certificate in General Education that helps veterans fulfill requirements under the G.I. Bill. DGE also formulates the Management Institute to focus on courses for business and industry. | |
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| In 1954, the School is renamed the Division of General Education and Extension Services (DGEES) to reflect the full scope of its activities. The School offers courses at 19 locations in the tri-state area. Enrollment surpasses any other individual school at NYU, and income reaches $2 million for the first time. New departments are created: Office of Special Services to Business and Industry, and the Liberal Arts in Extension program. | DGEES is on the forefront of issues in a decade marked by tenuous political times and a focus on social and economic change. The 1960s bring the creation of the Office of Community Service Programs; the Division of Business and Management; and new associate degree offerings in the liberal arts, business, public service, and physical therapy, which lay the groundwork for the future Paul McGhee Division for adult learners returning to college to earn a degree. | |
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| In 1971, the School is renamed the School of Continuing Education (SCE). New diploma programs are created in business, data processing, computer technology, and systems analysis. The Institute for Paralegal Studies is created. The General Studies Program is instituted to offer two years of instruction to college-age students. A boom in the real estate market drives rapid expansion of the Real Estate Institute, which still thrives today as the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate. | The nation sees its first real boom in information technology and computers. SCE began ramping up its IT offerings in the 1970s, and in the 1980s, the School extends this growth by expanding its publishing and business programs. SCE’s Master of Science in Real Estate is launched, eventually becoming the largest such program in the country. | |
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| This decade witnesses rapid growth in new courses and students. SCE is a leader in exploring virtual and Internet-based learning. New degree and certificate programs are created in hospitality and tourism, real estate, digital technology, and media. Ushering in technological advances in media, the Center for Advanced Digital Applications is formed. In 1998, the School is renamed the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS). | Today, SCPS enrolls nearly 50,000 students annually in eight academic divisions and centers that offer associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees; graduate and professional certificates; and intensive study, summer intensives, corporate training, adult reentry, and online study programs. The School also has pioneered an online personal career management system, CareerPath™, that enables individuals to better navigate career advancement in the midst of rapid workforce restructuring due to globalization and its effects. | |