Learning

The last component of the Disney College Program is learning. Each participant has the chance to learn during their program. Disney offers several courses to participants. Taking courses is not a requirement of the program, but it is encouraged. Classes not only provide the expected educational outcomes, but they also provide a great way for participants to meet new people and network with Disney employees. People who do take courses have the opportunity to earn college credit. When it comes to scheduling for work, the location managers already know if and when somebody is taking a class and are sure to never schedule somebody during one of their classes.

Disney offers three types of courses. The first is Collegiate Courses. These classes are much like many other classes that you'd find at a regular educational institution. They do, however, focus on some aspect of Disney. These courses usually have textbooks and assignments to be completed. These classes include things like Creativity and Innovation: Gaining the Edge and Advanced Studies in Hospitality Management. These classes normally meet four hours per class, once a week.

The second type of course that Disney offers is known as the Exploration Series. These courses focus on a specific aspect of the Walt Disney World Resort operations. They meet for only 2 hours per class, one time a week. And there are eight classes. They are less academically demanding than the Collegiate Series. However, they are highly interactive and have the students learning outside and inside the classroom. There are no tests or assignments for these classes. They include things like Exploring Disney Heritage and Exploring Guest Services.

The last type of course is the Professional Development Series. These courses are specific to a participant's college major. Students must have a declared major in the area of study to be able to participate. Unfortunately, they don't have anything for music or education.

When I first looked into the Program, and also when I applied, I was looking at two courses to possibly take. The first was the Creativity and Innovation course from the collegiate series. The other was the Exploring Disney Heritage from the Exploration series. On the Disney website, it states that those participants who take courses will work on average 30-40 hours per week, while those who do not take courses will work 30-50 hours per week. I wanted to work as much as possible, so I had decided to not take any classes.

But then when course sign-up came along, I re-evaluated my decision and decided that I would indeed like to take a course. I decided to take the Exploring Disney Heritage course. It is less time constraining since it only meets for 8 weeks, and only 2 hours per week. It sounds really fun. The class takes a look at the history of the Walt Disney Company. I think I will enjoy it quite a bit. One of my (hopefully) roommates has also signed up with me. We will be taking it on Mondays from 4-6.