DePaul University’s Driehaus College of Business delivers an abundance of resources to students, alumni, faculty and professionals through its centers and institutes. Leveraging the Chicago business community, these centers deliver a wealth of industry-related programming through networking events, continuing education, conferences and summits.

The following select list highlights some of the center-hosted opportunities available to alumni and other professionals.

Arditti Center for Risk Management

Celebrating the work of Fred Arditti, the late Chicago Mercantile Exchange chief economist and DePaul finance professor, this center bridges the gap between academia and industry by co-hosting topical events in risk management, such as the annual Cyber-Risk Conference.

For information on upcoming programming:

Arditti Center for Risk Management
arditti@depaul.edu
(312) 362-8513

Coleman Entrepreneurship Center

This center hosts a wide range of entrepreneurial events open to the Chicago business community, including a series of workshops that discuss various aspects of starting and growing new ventures. Its mission is to equip students and alumni with the knowledge and skills to awaken their entrepreneurial spirit.

For more information:

Coleman Entrepreneurship Center
cec@depaul.edu
(312) 362-8625

Center for Financial Services

This center holds a number of events open to alumni, faculty, students and staff throughout the year, including a joint conference with Truth in Accounting that explores issues involving pensions, government budgets and debt; a conference that focuses on the theme of sustainable business practices; a wealth management conference supported by LPL Financial; and an executive forum sponsored by PNC.

For more information:

Center for Financial Services
CFS@depaul.edu
(312) 362-8922

Center for Sales Leadership

This center provides educational opportunities for the business community interested in the sales profession. It holds five events annually, including a Career Expo where students connect with business partners.

For alumni who want more information:

Center for Sales Leadership
salesleadership@depaul.edu
(312) 362-6533

Center for Strategy, Execution and Valuation

The center hosts a variety of forums and seminars every year on the latest developments in high-performance company strategy and strategic risk management.

For more information:

Center for Strategy, Execution and Valuation
SEV@depaul.edu
(312) 362-8784

Institute for Business and Professional Ethics

Throughout the academic year the institute hosts events that are open to the public, including lectures with prominent business leaders who speak on various ethics topics. It also holds business roundtables where business leaders/owners exchange ideas in smaller, intimate settings.

For more information:

Institute for Business and Professional Ethics
IBPE@depaul.edu
(312) 362-8786

 Kellstadt Marketing Center

KMC offers a wide range of continuing education options, from certificate programs to seminars that help professionals improve their direct, interactive, integrated, Internet and word-of-mouth marketing skills. DePaul alumni receive a 15 percent discount on certificate programs.

For more information:

Kellstadt Marketing Center
jmurray9@depaul.edu
(312) 362-5914

The Real Estate Center

With an active network of students, alumni and industry leaders, the Real Estate Center is a great resource for engagement among real estate professionals from multiple industry disciplines. The center encourages alumni to participate in the DePaul Real Estate Alumni Alliance by networking or becoming guest speakers in the classroom or during the Collegiate Real Estate Conference.

For more information:

The Real Estate Center at DePaul
realestate@depaul.edu
(312) 362-5906

Click here to access a full list of Driehaus College of Business centers and institutes.

By Andrew Zamorski

Owning a home and investing in stocks and bonds are common strategies people use to boost their financial security, but some overlook what could be the working adult’s most valuable asset: their income earning potential.

An investment in one’s career could easily generate more than an investment in the stock market, and it is one over which employees have much more control.

Professionals pursue continuing education to advance their careers, change industries or stay ahead of rapidly evolving technology. Social media, for example, has transformed many professions and requires an entirely new set of skills than those taught just five years ago.

Steve Kelly, director of the Kellstadt Marketing Center (KMC) in DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business, has seen this revolution firsthand. “Social media, digital display advertising, search engine marketing and competing on analytics were not in the vocabulary for most of our students when they received their undergraduate degrees,” he says. “Today’s marketing is being driven by predictive and web analytics, social media listening and marketing, customer relationship management, database development, individual targeting and return on investment accountability. Only experts who are practicing this today can keep up with the changing marketing landscape.”

Tim Weaver (LAS ’97), account manager at ESPN Local in Chicago, returned to DePaul in 2013 to pursue the KMC Integrated Marketing Communications Certificate. “I needed something to prove that I had a knowledge base for internal and external career opportunities,” he explains. “I didn’t have the time to do a full-blown MBA program, but did want it to be at an accredited university. I found the IMC program was the perfect balance of all the elements I was looking for.”

Kelly notes that the advantages of pursuing professional development over a full degree program include students’ ability to target specific skills and just-in-time learning in the format that best suits them. KMC courses range from a single class on one day to a course spread over 10 evening sessions to a multiple-course certificate program. To accommodate professional travel schedules, an increasing number of these courses are available online.

Weaver’s strategy worked.

“My clients and co-workers look at me in a different light, as a real expert in the digital marketing field who they can come to for help,” he says. “My managers come to me to discuss best practices when developing new sponsorship and program elements.”

A study DePaul commissioned in 2009 estimated more than 1.4 million people in northern Illinois, northwestern Indiana and southeastern Wisconsin pursued career-related, noncredit professional education. In a typical year, upward of 3,000 students enroll in programs at KMC and DePaul’s Continuing and Professional Education (CPE).

Harry Bryant, CPE director, says those who pass through his doors are mostly people in midcareer or middle-management jobs. A third to a half have taken classes or earned a degree from DePaul. Alumni receive a 15 percent discount on all KMC programs and some CPE courses.

“The demographics are shifting toward professional education,” Bryant notes. The number of high school graduates in America peaked between 2007 and 2011. These students have already completed or soon will complete college. “What are they going to need to take the next step forward in their careers?” he asks. “They will seek specific skills to advance, differentiate themselves or break into a new industry.”

CPE students take a range of programs that span from three-hour seminars to 180-hour certificate programs addressing the latest trends and techniques in financial planning, human resources and management, among other topics. Because Chicago has become an operational and logistical hub, Bryant says certifications in supply chain management, project management and Six Sigma process improvement are very popular.

As Weaver’s experience illustrates, professionals who take ownership of their careers by updating their skills can become management’s go-to staff members, a role that can enhance future earnings.

Visit the Kellstadt Marketing Center for more information on professional development opportunities. For details on Continuing and Professional Education visit learning.depaul.edu.