We are not — but we did learn from the model! If you’re looking to become a mechanical engineer, surgeon, or marine biologist, Apprentice University may not be the right fit for you. But if you’d like to dedicate a couple years to earning skills that will prepare you for the professional world, the Foundational Certificate all apprentices earn is applicable to any career.

Our students at Apprentice University have a variety of career and personal goals. While our certificates may focus on particular career fields, such as project management, software development, or digital storytelling, the personalization offered at Apprentice University allows students to fit their education to their goals — whatever they might be!

Generally speaking, students enrolling in our program directly from high school will graduate in two-and-a-half years. That said, if the student participated in our JumpStart high school program, they may graduate in less time than that. Likewise, if students do not prove their mastery of the badges within the certificate(s) they’re pursuing, they may graduate later.

Apprentice University's ongoing tuition is billed monthly so students can worry less about cash flow. One-time enrollment and onboarding fees are around $1,500. Good news: students working in paid apprenticeships should have the funds to cover their tuition every month! If you need more information, please contact us.

Internships usually do not have a specific job description, and they don’t include a great deal of skilled work. Often, interns are left to complete mundane tasks without much guidance. In contrast, apprenticeships with our corporate partners derive from a professional’s job description and depend on dedicated mentorship. Each apprenticeship builds upon the previous, ensuring the student is acquiring skills and progressing through their career path of interest.

During their time at Apprentice University, students will complete approximately 5-6 apprenticeships, each spanning about 5-6 months. Scheduled with our corporate partners, these apprenticeships offer students on-the-job training as well as opportunities to apply their studies to the real world. At graduation, this work totals to approximately 4,000 hours of experience, as well as an impressive portfolio of skills.

The type of apprenticeships students may hold depends on their type of career goals! Some of our students have managed membership databases and new member reception, produced podcast audio, and written marketing copy. You won't be bored!

We seek paid apprenticeships as often as possible, as we believe it is necessary that our students are compensated for the work they do for our partner companies! However, there can be exceptions made on a case-by-case basis, such as apprenticing for a non-profit.

Our classes are seminar-style, which means they focus on discussion rather than lecture. Instead of grades, students receive feedback based on their skills mastery. Course content contributes to the criteria for certain digital badges. Every session offers a variety of classes.

The workload for a class depends primarily on the teaching methods and the class subject. For example, a Financial Accounting class will have far more intensive homework than a Film and Dialogue class.

Students often start Apprentice University at age 18, but our current student body ranges from 16-22 year olds!

Well, yes and no. While they cannot become apprentices, they can attend our JumpStart dual enrollment program! This is a great way to get ahead in Apprentice University while still in high school.

At the moment, we do not offer any residential housing. Many of our students commute from home or rent apartments together. Stay tuned for updates on future housing!

While we much rather prefer students to be in-person, we do allow out-of-state students to join virtually. If you're interested in learning as a long-distance student, please contact us!

Our accrediting body is the marketplace. This means that knowledge students gain while at Apprentice University is verified by the professionals they work with during the program. Because we are not accredited by the government, we have the freedom to ensure our students experience education unrestricted!

We combine students’ interests with skills training to prepare them to compete in the global economy. This happens primarily through our industry-designed professional certificates. The content of our certificates derives from our digital badging system. As students acquire knowledge through their apprenticeships, classes, or other means, they earn digital badges representing their achievements. These badges are based on specific rubrics with measurable criteria, so students know their exact expectations. Apprentice University validates every digital badge, and students receive verification from mentors, instructors, and employers for the credentials they earn.

At Apprentice University, we admit students year-round, so you can apply anytime! We organize several cohorts a year and announce the deadlines for each cohort six-eight weeks before it closes. Once you apply, you’ll be sorted into one of those cohorts.

First, you’ll need to request an application online. Our staff will schedule an interview with you, and based on preliminary assessments and discussions, you will be invited to join the program. Once your application is accepted, you’ll participate in a four-day intensive onboarding workshop that begins a pre-apprenticeship period. If you complete this period, you can become an official apprentice!

If you’re not ready to attend Apprentice University, check out our JumpStart program. You can take our classes on Friday and participate in any events, but you won’t be apprenticing with our corporate partners. Or invest your time and energy into building real workplace skills as part of the Discovery Internship Program.

You can always contact us via our website or at admissions@apprentice.university. Or, even better, you can come to a Preview Day! At our Preview Day events, we discuss every component of the program in greater detail and answer as many questions as you’re willing to ask. Don't forget to register for the next one!