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Advancing Academic Excellence, Lifelong Learning, and Career Readiness
Learning must be innovative, adaptable, and enduring in a rapidly evolving world. Our commitment to academic excellence and career readiness is rooted in the belief that education should empower individuals throughout their professional journeys.
Through cutting-edge pedagogy, immersive co-curricular experiences, and bold programmatic innovation, we are creating pathways that support student success in and beyond the classroom. This section highlights our strategic efforts—from enhancing career services and lifelong learning opportunities through GW RevU, to driving academic innovation, online learning excellence, and building new partnerships—each initiative reflecting our dedication to catalyzing growth and transformation through learning.
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Goal TWO of our strategic plan, People, is defined as catalyzing innovation and delivering cutting-edge pedagogy, curricula, co-curricular experiences, and research that empower professional progress
CPS deepened its commitment to student success and career readiness this year through targeted investments, expanded resources, and responsive programming that set the pace for the college to follow for years to come. Career Services launched a robust internship database with nearly 600 opportunities, including over 100 outside Capitol Hill. We also developed specialized support for students impacted by federal workforce reductions in partnership with GW CyberForge.
We allocated $25,000 to the Emergency Support Fund to help students navigate unexpected financial challenges, and $5,000 to the Professional Development Fund to support career-enhancing opportunities. This year’s professional development awards helped students pursue industry-recognized credentials, including the CompTIA Security+ Certification, directly strengthening their competitiveness in the job market and equipping them with in-demand skills aligned with workforce needs.
CPS continued expanding applied politics programming through university partnerships aimed at growing enrollment. A CPS-wide initiative was launched to support federal employees impacted by downsizing, offering a 20% tuition discount and aligning new credentials and courses with workforce transition needs. A new partnership with DPR and CEPL also opened pathways for strategic collaboration.
CEPL Joins the Inner Development Goals (IDG) Partnership
In 2024, the Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (CEPL) proudly joined the global Inner Development Goals (IDG) Partnership, deepening our commitment to advancing whole-person leadership, inner development, and sustainable change. The IDG initiative, rooted in cutting-edge research and global collaboration, focuses on cultivating the inner capabilities needed to meet complex societal challenges and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
By joining this global movement, CEPL now stands alongside leading organizations such as IKEA, Google, Novartis, EY, Volvo, and Airbus, who are collectively advancing a new model of leadership grounded in purpose, resilience, emotional intelligence, and ethical action. This partnership enables CEPL to co-create transformational learning experiences, collaborate across sectors, and integrate inner development into leadership practices on a global scale. It also reinforces our mission to nurture leaders who can navigate complexity with clarity, foster human and planetary flourishing, and drive meaningful systems change.
CPS advanced curriculum innovation with 81 new or revised course proposals, ensuring compliance with WID/GPAC standards and completing a comprehensive review of the MPS in Homeland Security. We reintroduced Semester in Washington (SIW) certificates and launched new initiatives like the Academy for Civic Education and Democracy (ACED) and the Applied Politics Summer Program.
Lifelong Learning: GW RevU
This year, GW RevU launched two new CBRNE-WMD credentials, Leadership and Management of CBRNE-WMD Organizations and Emerging Threats and Technology, with additional offerings in Medical Intervention (June) and a Capstone (September). In partnership with ISACA and ISC2, CyberForge introduced 11 new industry-recognized certifications designed for adult learners, veterans, and displaced federal workers.
RevU also began releasing sample modules from for-credit courses, allowing prospective students to explore content and make informed enrollment decisions.
Digital Engagement: GWRevU Social Tool
The college launched the development of the GWRevU Social Tool, an innovative online platform designed to enhance digital engagement across the CPS community. GWRevU Social Tool supports collaboration, networking, and lifelong learning by connecting students, alumni, and faculty across programs. This tool is a key component of CPS’s ongoing effort to foster community and belonging in virtual and hybrid environments.
GW CyberForge: Certifications for a Changing Workforce
GW CyberForge officially launched as CPS’s new professional certification platform, delivering high-demand credentials through partnerships with ISACA and ISC2. Initial offerings include:
- ISACA: CISA, CISM, CRISC
- ISC2: CISSP, CC
These programs are designed to support federal employees navigating career transitions and professionals pursuing growth in cybersecurity and risk management.
Expanding Offerings
We are actively exploring new collaborations with Flatiron School to expand technical certifications and engaging with global partners to offer Spanish-language courses through RevU—broadening access for international and multilingual learners.
Instructional Design & Online Learning Excellence
This year, our instructional design team supported approximately 150 online courses across eight programs. We completed development on 19 courses (8 full, four partial, seven limited) and implemented a new digital contract process to streamline workflows. Internal training was expanded to align more closely with Quality Matters standards, supporting high-quality online learning experiences.
Digital Credentials Launching in FY25 with Accredible
Beginning in FY25, the College of Professional Studies (CPS) will begin issuing digital credentials and badges through Accredible, a leading platform used by top universities and professional organizations to provide verifiable, shareable recognition of learners’ achievements. These digital credentials are more than just static certificates—they are portable, secure, and embedded with metadata that outlines what the learner did to earn them, including competencies mastered, program details, and verification from the institution.
This rollout will enhance the value of CPS’s non-degree and executive education offerings by giving learners tangible, resume-boosting recognition for their work. Learners can share their digital badges on LinkedIn, resumes, email signatures, or directly with employers—helping them showcase their skills and learning outcomes in a credible and professional format.
13,402 credentials were issued from July 1, 2025 - June 2, 2025.
CEPL Deepens the Commitment to Experiential Learning
In 2024, CEPL deepened its commitment to experiential education, offering participants dynamic, immersive opportunities to engage with leadership principles in real-world contexts. A highlight of the year was the expansion of Leadership Lessons from History, led by Senior Fellow Dr. Jared Peatman, an award-winning historian and expert in experiential education.
Drawing on his expertise as the Director of Curriculum for the Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg, and certified by the National Society of Experiential Education, Dr. Peatman designed learning experiences that use history as a living metaphor for today’s leadership challenges. Participants engaged in curated tours across key sites in Washington, D.C., including the Jefferson, Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, Jr. memorials. Through these experiences, they examined pivotal moments in U.S. history, exploring how foundational values such as freedom, justice, and service have been interpreted and reinterpreted across generations.
Dr. Peatman’s sessions challenged participants to reflect not only on historical leadership legacies but also on their leadership journeys: What personal values guide their decisions? What impact do they seek to leave? How can they contribute to shaping the future of their organizations and communities?
This experiential approach blends emotional intelligence, historical insight, and leadership practice, offering a powerful, reflective learning model. It reinforces CEPL’s mission to nurture values-driven leaders who are equipped to lead with clarity, resilience, and purpose in an increasingly complex world.
