The School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) reflects WashU’s strategic commitment to regional engagement and equity. Informed by partnerships with industry leaders, CAPS provides flexible, high-quality, workforce-aligned programs to the modern learner – individuals balancing personal and professional responsibilities with their educational goals. CAPS centers on delivering programs that are critical to fostering economic mobility for its graduates while strengthening the regional job market.
Marquee accomplishments through 2025
Five years after launch: Building institutional infrastructure
The creation of CAPS involved building new institutional infrastructure to support modern learners and drive strategic change. This included:
- Recruited specialized staff: Hired a dedicated team with expertise in coaching, program design, and industry partnerships.
- Developed new governance: Established new academic governance processes and rigorous program review standards.
- Realigned operations: Focused operations on student success metrics, workforce alignment, and community engagement.
- Created distinct identity: Forged a clear school identity that aligns with WashU’s broader vision while distinguishing CAPS within the St. Louis region.
85%
of students report non-academic commitments consume their time
93%
of students report working 30 hours or more per work
The people of CAPS
At CAPS, students’ lives are transformed through a collaborative, supportive community, where flexibility and purpose create pathways to growth and leadership.
Partnering for intentionality
The success at CAPS is rooted in intentionality, specifically the changes made which directly benefit students. Enrollment guides and student success navigators partner with students to ensure a seamless and supportive educational experience for whichever program best fits their individual needs.
Extend(Ed)™ Skill-Builder
CAPS launched free, self-paced courses to re-engage adult learners in key areas like math and time management.
Degree-seeker pipeline
CAPS aims to transition 50 non-degree learners into degree programs by the end of 2025.
English Language Program
Over 40 WashU contract employees completed English Language Program (ELP) courses; the new Empower: Career Success launched at Delmar DivINe; over 100 postdocs on Danforth and Medical campuses completed ELP courses.
Prison Education Project
In April 2021, the Prison Education Project (PEP) secured a two‑year, $980,000 award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to upgrade digital learning, add a second site at the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center, and strengthen re-entry services for incarcerated students; PEP already offered 16 liberal arts courses annually and two degree pathways inside Missouri Eastern Correctional Center. To date, CAPS has served 142 incarcerated students and has achieved zero recidivism for released alumni.
Pre-nursing pathway for modern learners
CAPS partnered with the Goldfarb School of Nursing to create a tuition-supported, evening/weekend pre-nursing track for WashU employees. One hundred WashU Medicine staff members are completing anatomy, algebra, psychology, and other prerequisites without leaving their day jobs.
Empower: Career success
In March 2024, WashU launched a 26‑week, tuition‑free program that provides advanced English and professional skills at Delmar DivINe; the pilot was supported by a state workforce grant, while a $10 million donor gift will sustain the program long term. CAPS is currently serving over 100 learners through the Empower program, representing 15 countries of origin.
Creating pathways to education
CAPS expands access to education for those whose paths were delayed by life or circumstance. Serving students who balance work, family, and caregiving, CAPS offers tailored support, bridge programs, and flexible pathways that help learners build confidence and reach their goals.
Forming partnerships with local organizations
Strength of partnerships is a key component of bringing a WashU education to modern learners in the St. Louis region. It epitomizes being “In St. Louis, For St. Louis” when the traditional student experience is expertly offered in flexible and online formats for individuals balancing their educational goals with personal and professional responsibilities. The Master of Applied Computer Science and Master of Data Analytics & Applications, in partnership with the McKelvey School of Engineering’s Sever Institute, have opened the door to exploring opportunities with all WashU schools that will strengthen community-focused efforts in the region.
Scalable pathways: The next strategic plan
CAPS is built on the principle of providing scalable pathways that demonstrably lead to economic mobility. This framework forms the basis for CAPS’s next strategic plan:
Defining the economic mobility equation
The equation is a conceptual framework defining economic mobility as the combined, individually weighted impact of four strategic forces: Access, Pathways, Opportunity, and Partnerships. It is a model used to strategically measure and drive success, particularly in the context of educational institutions such as CAPS.