The Ferris Model of Career-Oriented Education
– Key Elements

• Relevance in General Education. FSU offers a high-quality, college-level general education program that provides students with the basic skills they need to understand the world, communicate effectively, be good citizens and be ready to enter their major field. Moreover, the general education courses required for each major at Ferris are carefully selected to correspond to that major so that students can more easily see the relevance of the requirement to their ultimate goals.
  
  
• Program Laddering. Most FSU programs provide multiple entry and exit options so that students can build upon coursework completed for a certificate to apply toward an associate's degree, on the associate's degree to apply toward a bacherlor's degree, and so on. This "laddering" effect provides Ferris students of all kinds – traditional students, adult learners, and community college transfers – with optimal flexibility in their pursuit of each level of achievement.
  
  
• Connections to the World of Work. All of Ferris State University's programs are tailored to the needs of employers and the demands of the workplace. A wide variety of specialty programs built around industry and professional standards, faculty members who bring a wealth of work experience into the classroom, and advisory committees that monitor program structure and content help to ensure that students experience the latest in technology, theory and practice.
  
  
• State-of-the-Industry Facilities. Educational facilities and equipment at Ferris reflect current industry conditions. Ferris administrators and faculty work diligently to make sure that classrooms, laboratories, and equipment are as up-to-date as possible in order to give FSU students the kinds of hands-on experiences that enable them to contribute immediately in the workplace. Many Ferris students spend as much time in modern learning laboratories – whether it be the golf or tennis facilities, the welding or plastic labs, student teaching or camp counseling – as they do in lecture halls.
  
  
• Hands-on, Real-Life Experiences. Every degree program at FSU strives to integrate practical experiences into its curriculum. For many programs, these experiences occur on campus in laboratories or clinics. Other programs require each student to complete an internship in their field of study in other to graduate. These experiences are structured and supervised in order to give students the most realistic experience prior to going to work.
  
  
• Practical Instruction with High Standards. Ferris faculty transcend the theoretical concepts that form the building blocks of knowledge at most other institutions to focus on the practical skills and competencies required for success in today's world of work. Courses blend theory and practice so that students know both what to do and why to do it. FSU faculty maintain high standards for student performance as evidenced by the success rates Ferris students experience on required examinations for certification and job placement.