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Should College Degrees Have Expiration Dates?


Let's take a step back to 2007. Hard to believe it's been a decade ago now! The first iPhone was just being released to the public. YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter were still in their infancy. Tablets and smartwatches didn't exist. And MySpace was still a big thing.

 Today, pretty much the opposite is true of everything mentioned above. The Apple Watch has more than double the processing power of the first iPhone. YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter are going strong along with new folks like Instagram and Snapchat. And while MySpace still exists, it is only a mere shadow of its former self.

 Things change. The IT industry is easy to point out because of its rapid, tangible growth, but this isn't to say other things have changed. Music artists and book authors no longer need major publishing deals to share their work. Uber and Lyft have created a whole new industry out of ride sharing. And who else remembers when McDonald's used to only have one drive thru and breakfast only served in the morning?

 Things change, so subsequently, the way people do things also needs to change. Nobody knew how to code for iOS and Android a decade ago because they pretty much didn't exist. Clearly, there are some folks out there that had to refine their knowledge and skill sets to accommodate this change.

 So, would you want to hire a software developer who got his degree in the 80's and never furthered his education beyond that?

Here's the thing... most companies are really good at checking to see if a person has a degree in something, but they rarely check when that degree was earned and if that person has furthered his or her personal development post-graduation. This is a problem. Where some education may be timeless, a lot of it requires a constant refreshing to keep up with the times.

 Actually, a lot of certifications have already addressed this. Let's take the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, for example. I earned my PMP in July 2015 and was immediately given notice that the PMP would expire in July 2018. In order for me to be able to renew my PMP beyond that date, I need to complete Continuing Education Units (CEUs) as a means to show that I am indeed keeping abreast of the latest information in the project management community.

 Where some people might view this as a money grab, I do see the value in holding to this practice. Because things clearly change, it is only right to ensure that these certificate holders keep up with the change.

 So why don't college degrees function the same way?

 As a person who graduated from undergrad in 2012, I can tell you that there are a few parts of my undergraduate education that are already outdated. For example, I was taught about memos being an important part of business communication. Memos have most definitely fallen to the wayside with the emergence of email. (And frankly, I'm surprised I had to learn about memos at all.)

 That's a small example, but if my 2012 education is already showing signs of decay, what about an MBA earned in the 70's? Not having even been alive at the time, I can't tell you what is or isn't relevant about a 1970's MBA, but I'd wager to say that a good chunk of it is irrelevant in today's modern society.

 I don't see this changing any time soon (if at all), so it's up to us to ensure we're staying up on our personal development. Don't rest on the laurels of having a degree. Things change, and so should you. Seek out things that will constantly make you the best in your field.
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