Features
A.S., certificate grads find MDC education rewarding
Ninety-five percent of the graduates who earned Associate in Science degrees or certificates said Miami Dade College gave them excellent or good preparation for their current job, according to a recent survey of former MDC students.
Most of the alumni surveyed (91 percent) are working and two-thirds said their job was directly related to their MDC degree. The majority of alumni surveyed (83 percent) said that they had achieved their educational goal at MDC.
Alumni also said their education was personally (96 percent), professionally (93 percent) and financially (82 percent) rewarding.
Graduates from Miami Dade College said they were most pleased that MDC gave them an opportunity to work in a multicultural community. “I like the openness and the cultural diversity,” said one survey respondent.
This latest alumni survey provides a retrospective look at MDC from a sample of graduates from 2001 and 2004 who earned A.S. degrees as well as those who earned college credit and vocational certificates. These findings, compiled in a telephone survey conducted by the College’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness, are comparable to the results obtained in a 2004 survey of graduates from 1998 and 2001.
Feedback from alumni affirms that MDC is preparing students for employment and continued education. The survey also indicates MDC is fulfilling its strategic goal to increase such opportunities.
Alumni were asked about their educational aspirations, goals and experience after MDC. They were asked to rate the importance of the 10 learning outcomes and to rate their MDC education on several dimensions.
Open-ended items allowed alumni to comment on what they liked best and least about their time at MDC.
When asked about instructional faculty, respondents said faculty members were always available and very helpful in providing information. They also commented that professors were very professional and challenging and said they had “great professors.”
— David Kaiser