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For Immediate Release
First Microsoft Certification Recommended For College Credit By The American Council On Education
Microsoft Office Specialist Certifications Approved for Undergraduate College Credit
Salt Lake City (November 21, 2002) — Certiport, Inc., the worldwide administrator of the Microsoft® Office Specialist program, today announced that certifications for Microsoft Word 2002, Excel 2002, PowerPoint 2002, Access 2002, Outlook 2002 (collectively, "Office XP") and Microsoft Project 2002 have each been recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) for one semester hour of lower division college credit. The Project 2002 exam is also recommended for upper division credit. Students who currently hold or are pursuing Microsoft Office Specialist certification for Office XP (2002) applications or Microsoft Project may apply, via the ACE Transcript Service, for use as possible college credit at more than 1,200 ACE affiliated colleges and universities.
"With the advance of computer technology, Microsoft Office skills are now essential to enter and succeed in nearly every job market," stated Jo Ann Robinson, director, ACE College Credit Recommendation Service. "This college credit recommendation validates Microsoft Office Specialist certification skill requirements for Office XP and Microsoft Project as being equivalent to college-level skills needed to succeed in school and at work."
The certifications and the college credit recommendations will reach a potential audience of 27 million* students enrolled in secondary and post-secondary institutions across the U.S. "For millions of high school and college students," said Diana Carew, manager of Academic Workforce Development Worldwide at Microsoft, "ACE's credit recommendation adds enormous value to Microsoft Office Specialist certification, and recognizes the necessity of standardized desktop computing skills in the modern classroom and workplace."
Good News for Education and Students
With the cost per college credit hour ranging from $275-$750**, high school, vocational school, community college and four-year college students can save time and money with certification in Microsoft Office applications, as well as Microsoft Project. Before ACE's credit recommendation, many institutions have independently recognized the value of Microsoft Office Specialist certification as an effective method of student skill development and evaluation. The Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business, for example, incorporated Microsoft Office Specialist certification into its curriculum more than two years ago and has since certified more than 500 full-time MBA students.
Having established the certification as a requirement for graduation, Pepperdine views ACE's credit recommendation very positively. "By incorporating Microsoft Office Specialist certification as a program requirement, we offer corporate recruiters the assurance that our students are technically prepared to put their learning to work," said Dr. James Goodrich, associate dean of full-time graduate programs. "The ACE credit recommendation confirms our belief that Microsoft Office Specialist certification is a meaningful and authoritative indication of Office skill."
Dozens of community colleges and four-year universities have already adopted the certification as a requirement or an elective, including Bellevue (Wash.) Community College, Ivy Tech State College (Ind.), Kankakee (Ill.) Community College, Pepperdine University, Texas Christian University, North Carolina State University, Washington State University and the University of Colorado (See more school comments).
About Microsoft® Office Specialist
The Microsoft® Office Specialist program provides skill standards, approved courseware, instructor credentials, exams and certifications for Microsoft Office business applications including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint®, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook® and Microsoft Project. For more information about the Program, visit www.microsoft.com/officespecialist.
About The American Council on Education
The American Council on Education (www.acenet.edu) is a comprehensive association of the nation's colleges and universities dedicated to higher education issues and advocacy on behalf of quality higher education programs. Counted among the Council's members are more than 1,800 accredited degree-granting colleges and universities and higher education related associations, organizations, and corporations.
ACE's Center for Adult Learning and Educational Credentials has championed lifelong learning for more than 50 years. In 1942, the Center pioneered the evaluation of education and training attained outside the classroom. The Center's Corporate Programs division recommends academic credit for college-level examinations and training offered in the workplace. Through this service, college and university faculty evaluate courses offered by business and industry, labor unions, associations, and government agencies and recommend college credit as appropriate.
About Certiport
Certiport, Inc. is the leading provider of global, performance-based certification programs and services designed to enable individual success and lifetime advancement through certification. As the worldwide provider of the Microsoft Office Specialist program, Certiport is responsible for the development, marketing and administration of certification programs for the Microsoft Office suite. Certiport is also the exclusive worldwide provider of the IC³ program. For more information about Certiport offerings, visit www.certiport.com.
Certiport and IC³ are registered trademarks of Certiport, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Microsoft and the Microsoft Office logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries, and the Microsoft Office Specialist Logo is used under license from owner.
*source: National Center for Educational Statistics **source: American Council on Education
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Press Only Contacts:
John Pilmer
Certiport
801-847-3128
jpilmer@certiport.com
Mary Beth Lowell
Text 100 Public Relations
206-267-2024
certiport@text100.com
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