Center for Continuing Education and Conference Services

Department Information

UMCOM Center for Continuing Education 125
(251) 460-7200

Title Name
Executive Director, Outreach and Professional Development Maya De Andrade
Program Director Joy Aull
Program Director Ginger Wade
Support Staff Amanda McCree
Accountant Patricia Miles

The mission of the Center for Continuing Education and Conference Services (CCE or the Center) is to provide innovative and in-demand educational programs and experiences to the Mobile, Gulf Coast and international communities focused on growing strategic partnerships, providing student enrichment opportunities and encouraging economic, civic and cultural development. The CCE offers professional and career development opportunities through noncredit seminars, courses and certificate programs. The Center also works with local businesses and industry to provide custom training solutions. In addition, the CCE enriches the lives of individuals who seek to invigorate their minds through noncredit enrichment course offerings including: foreign languages, art, music, literature, and leisure activities. The Center administers the awarding of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and issues transcripts for noncredit courses, workshops, and conferences.

Workforce Development

The CCE offers continuing education programs for the working professional in the form of seminars, workshops, conferences, and short-term courses. University faculty, along with field experts, actively participate in the development and instruction of these programs. Staff members focus on meeting the needs of our regional community partners by assisting them in building human capital.

The CCE Safety and Emergency Response Training program serves industry, government and other agencies with state-of-the- art instruction in the handling of hazardous materials and emergency spills, technical rescue and incident command in accordance with state and federal regulations. The Center also offers training programs in mental health and crisis intervention for first responders and other primary responders such as school counselors and hospital personnel.

Career Development

Certificate programs are available for individuals seeking new careers or ways to advance in their current profession. Some of our certificate programs are Paralegal Studies, Photography and Medical Billing and Coding.

Recognizing that members of the community may need more flexibility than traditional in-person classes, the CCE has partnered with some of the most widely recognized providers of online educational courses to bring students learning opportunities in a plethora of areas for both professional development and personal enrichment.

Personal Enrichment

The CCE offers noncredit classes for adults in a number of areas for personal enrichment. Whether it is to learn a new hobby or simply have fun, the CCE selects instructors who are experts in their fields to provide engaging quality courses in a wide variety of topics including foreign languages, photography, music and physical activities.

Odyssey USA is the University’s Institute for Learning in Retirement in Mobile. Senior adults have the opportunity to attend noncredit classes that are designed to satisfy the quest for knowledge in areas of the arts, history, music, literature, and other interesting disciplines. These students enjoy a broad selection of classes and events year-round. Courses are offered in four 6-week terms, and students may choose to take just one course at a time, or they may choose to take all that are offered. No membership fee is required; students only enroll in and pay for the courses that interest them.

Test Prep

With test preparation courses for the GRE®, GMAT®, LSAT®, Praxis®, SAT® and ACT®, the CCE is the Gulf Coast's leading test prep solution for admission exams. These courses are designed to strengthen students’ performance in all core areas that are covered in the examinations, providing them a greater chance of success and a competitive edge among their peers. 

Summer Programs, Camps and Conferences

The CCE serves as a resource for event administration, registrations and payment processing for university departments and external groups. For external groups seeking to hold events at USA, the Center coordinates arrangements for University facilities and services. Our professional staff also provides event management services for educational events off-site. As part of Global USA, the Center assists other university departments with the logistics, coordination and management of short-term, non-credit international cohorts. Additionally, the CCE develops custom short-term, non-credit programs with academic enrichment and cultural components for domestic and international groups.