Professional Development

Custom Curriculum

Are you interested in custom programs for your employees? We’ll work with you to design a custom curriculum tailored to your organization’s specific needs and goals and for a range of departments. Join our email list to receive updates.

Open Enrollment Courses

Whether you are seeking personal growth or an L&D professional looking to reward, retain, or simply challenge your rising stars, our open-enrollment courses are designed to meet the needs of marketing communications professionals of all levels.

Led by accomplished Brandcenter alumni, faculty, and distinguished industry leaders in our extended network, and covering a range of topics from hard skills to soft skills, these courses can be customized to offer convenient, effective learning in a virtual or in-person. Most course offerings are between one and six modules, take place during the work day, and last approximately one hour per module. We look forward to launching new courses—join our email list to receive updates.

Past programming includes:

The Coach Approach: Cultivating a Team Culture of Growth & Empowerment with Carl Desir, Executive & Leadership Coach, DEI Consultant, and Founder of The Boom List
Starting with Equity; Getting to Excellence with Chandra Guinn, Executive Director, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (EDIB) / McKinney
The Life Brief: Creative Strategies for No Regrets Living with Bonnie Wan, Partner and Head of Brand Strategy / Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
The Power of Collaboration with Pete Ruest (Strategy, 1999), SVP, Client Service Director / Energy BBDO; Greg Christensen (Copywriting, 2000), Group Creative Director / TRG; and Jim Bosiljevac (Copywriting, 2000), Head of Brand Creative / Yahoo
The Sweathead Strategy Accelerator with Mark Pollard, Founder / Sweathead
Degrowth Marketing: Building the Brands We All Want to Root for with Ivan Kayser, CEO / Redscout
A Primer on How Production Works in Advertising with Temma Shoaf, Former Head of Production / Arts & Letters Creative Co.
Brand & Culture, Bridging New Divides with Rian Chandler-Dovis (Creative Brand Management, 2017), Partner, Chief Product Officer / Brand Federation
The No BS Course on Media Planning with Todd Alchin, CSO & CMO / Noble People
Modern Brands and the Importance of Motion Design with Rick Plautz (Experience Design, 2014), Sr. Associate Motion Designer / Capital One

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Have questions? We’ve got answers.

Who are the Brandcenter Professional Development courses for?

We offer professional development for people at any stage of their careers, providing you with a platform to achieve your goals. The courses are designed for individuals looking to sharpen their skills, learn new skills, and network with other marketing communications professionals.

Are Brandcenter Professional Development courses taught in person or virtually?

All programs are solely offered in virtual formats at this time. Each program offers material that will be consumed via live video calls with the whole class.

For our custom programs, we are open to holding these programs in person (at the Brandcenter or at your office).

How long are the courses?

Program duration differs depending on the course, but we expect most to last about an hour. Each course will likely have between one and six modules, and the modules should occur on consecutive weeks.

What do participants receive upon completion of a course?

After completing a course, attendees will receive a certificate of completion, an enhanced understanding of the program material, and a new network of professional colleagues.

How often will new programs be added? Will topics be the same or change?

New programs will be added every 60 or 90 days, which will include brand-new topics and may include additional sections of current offerings. Be sure to fill out the interest form to stay up to date on new programs.

Can I register for more than one program?

Of course. If two programs you’re interested in have overlapping dates and times, please email [email protected] to inquire about how enrollment would work for both programs.

What is the program fee? Are there any discounts (Brandcenter alumni, early bird)?

The registration fee varies for each program. Brandcenter often offers a 10% early-bird discount (usually two weeks prior to each program start date), and Brandcenter alumni receive a 10% discount regardless of when they register. For alumni, simply indicate your graduation year and concentration upon registering. (Please note, there is a 10% maximum discount per participant.)

Policies

Payment Policies

Payment is due in full at registration; we do not accept payment plans. You will receive a receipt up to 72 hours after completing registration and payment.

Accepted payment methods include credit card and check. If you need a W-9 form to issue a check, please contact us at [email protected]. We recommend requesting a check from your organization 90 days prior to the start of the program. If we have not received the check by the start of the program, you will not be permitted to attend.

Since professional development classes are non-credit, they are not covered by the VCU tuition waiver. Please direct all reimbursement questions internally to your organization.

For additional questions about payments, please email [email protected].

Refunds & Cancelations

If you’re unable to attend, you may be eligible for a refund, based on the cancellation date:

3+ weeks prior to the start date = full refund
2-3 weeks prior to the start date = 50 percent refund
Less than two weeks prior to the start date = no refund

All requests for refunds must be in writing to [email protected]. Approved refunds will be processed in 7-10 business days.

Brandcenter reserves the right to cancel any program if minimum enrollment is not met prior to the start date. If a program is canceled, the full registration fee will be refunded. Brandcenter also reserves the right to postpone programs, limit enrollment, split or combine programs, change instructors, or change locations.

Participants must attend at least 80% of a course to receive a certificate of completion.

Special Accommodations

If you require accommodations due to a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act, email us at [email protected] at least two weeks prior to the program.

Grievances can be reported to VCU Equity and Access Services Office: 804-828-1347 or [email protected].

At a Glance