From One Cowbell to 20,000 Students

School of Professional Studies marks a milestone six years after launching its self-paced prerequisite courses.

The MCPHS School of Professional Studies (SPS) celebrated its 20,000th unique student to enroll in its self-paced prerequisite courses since they launched in fall 2019 with a ceremonial cowbell ringing Aug. 25 on the Boston campus.

Dean Carol Lauer joined members of the SPS team and University leaders, including President Richard J. Lessard and Provost Caroline Zeind, on the marble steps of the original White Building, now enclosed within the glass atrium of the Ronald A. Matricaria Academic and Student Center, to mark the milestone.

The cowbell has been part of SPS tradition since the program’s early days, when the team was small enough to ring a giant bell each time a new student enrolled in a prerequisite course. When COVID-19 hit, the tradition moved online, with the team ringing a virtual cowbell to celebrate milestones and other achievements.

“It’s kind of funny to think about how we started with a cowbell ring for every student,” Lauer said. “Now we’re at 20,000. It’s a great bit of folklore for our team and a fun reminder of how much we’ve grown.”

SPS offers a suite of 20 online, self-paced prerequisite courses in subjects including biology, chemistry and physics, as well as certificates, credentials, and short courses for professionals in areas such as precision medicine, employee retention, and pain management.

The milestone follows several years of growth and recognition for SPS. The school received a 2023 Catalyst Award from Anthology for innovative approaches to teaching and learning and was recognized by the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) for excellence in online education. SPS also launched a new Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences degree program and became the first educational partner for Bioversity, a life sciences workforce development initiative, developing curriculum and teaching in the program.

SPS enrolls nearly 5,000 students annually.