Classroom To Career

In today’s job market, candidates with a solid professional image get hired.  One of the key elements of a solid professional image is the way you dress.  The Office of Career Services is excited to offer a professional development series focused on building professional skills with our students. This unique program, called the Classroom to Career Professional Dress Certificate Program, guides students through a variety of career-related steps to build their career competencies and professional image.  At the completion of these steps, students will earn their choice of a free, professional business suit or professional dress outfit.  Career Services is excited to now offer this program twice each school year: once in the Fall Semester and once in the Spring Semester.  However, students may only participate once.

The Classroom to Career Program is open to Juniors and Seniors from all majors.   Emporia State has partnered with the professional staff at Macy's at the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, KS to provide the sizing and apparel for the professional dress program. Emporia State University Career Services provides the ongoing funding for the suit program, as well as gifts from our generous donors and corporate sponsors. 

Spring 2025 Eligibility

To be eligible for this program, students must:

1. Be a current Junior or Senior in any major by credit hour at the start of the Spring 2025 semester, while also holding a cumulative GPA of 2.5  or higher.

2. Be enrolled full-time for the Spring 2025 semester.

3. Apply online for the program between Tuesday, December 3, 2024 - Monday, January 27, 2025 by completing THIS APPLICATION between these dates.  Applications submitted before Tuesday, December 3, 2024 or after Monday, January 27, 2025 will not be accepted.

4. Students will be selected by a Selection Committee based on their applications and will be notified if they are selected or not by Wednesday, January 29, 2025.

5. Complete all required certificate steps in Canvas between Thursday, January 30, 2025 - Friday, March 28, 2025.  Steps completed before or after these dates will not be considered for this program.  

***NOTE:  Due to budget restrictions, not every student who applies for the program will be selected.  Participants are selected based solely on the quality of their applications and NOT on a first-come, first-served basis.  Therefore, it is important to create a strong application.  If you are not selected to participate in the Spring 2025 program, you can still apply for the Fall 2025 program, as long as you still meet the Eligibility guidelines listed above.  Students who have already participated in the program cannot participate again. 

The Classroom to Career program is not an academic course and does NOT factor into your GPA as a student.