Extended Studies is in the business of helping businesses improve their workforce through professional development programs.

A unit of the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources, Extended Studies offers noncredit training in management (human resources, supervisory, casino gaming and leadership), paralegal studies, Lean Six Sigma, project management and other fields.

Real-world solutions

One- and two-day classes, weeklong courses and multi-week certificate programs are open to individuals and organizations alike. Courses are taught by experts in their respective fields. Curriculum presents industry best practices and workplace-ready skills. Students are encouraged to discuss their business challenges.

One such program is the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate Program, which combines the Lean and Six Sigma business methods. Lean’s goal is to improve workflow speed, and Six Sigma improves process accuracy. Past students have come from manufacturing, healthcare, government services, construction and service organizations.

During the one-week course, participants choose one classmate’s challenge, which becomes the focus of the week’s exercises, said Rishi Malhotra, instructor for the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt programs. Throughout the exercises, classmates from different industries contribute ideas drawn from their own experiences, often helping the process owner see previously overlooked opportunities.

Although only one problem is analyzed in depth, every student learns a structured approach that they can later apply to their own organization, Malhotra said.

One class applied this approach to a manufacturing process experiencing long production lead times and recurring bottlenecks, developing recommendations to improve the flow of materials and information, he said. Another class used the same method to analyze an administrative process suffering from delays and frequent rework by identifying unnecessary approvals, duplicated work and unclear responsibilities.

Malhotra said he believes one of Extended Studies’ greatest strengths is its ability to connect practical education with real workplace improvement.

 “The most rewarding part isn’t handing someone a certificate,” he said. “It’s seeing them return to work with a different way of looking at their organization. Once they learn to see processes as systems, they begin finding opportunities for improvement that were always there but weren’t visible before.”

Connecting businesses to the University

Manufacture Nevada, an outreach program of the University’s Research & Innovation, partners with Extended Studies. Manufacture Nevada increases manufacturing’s contribution to the state’s economy by leveraging University resources to connect manufacturers, students and faculty to workforce and research opportunities, said Wayne Thompson, manufacturing business advisor with Manufacture Nevada.

“With Manufacture Nevada visiting manufacturers on a weekly basis, we are in a great position to talk about some of the needs that Extended Studies can fill for area businesses, including Lean Six Sigma classes and supervisory management certificates,” Thompson said. “We are always looking for opportunities to bring UNR resources to manufacturers across the state.”

Your location or ours

Classes are held online, via Zoom or in person at the University’s Redfield Campus off Mount Rose Highway. Businesses and organizations also can opt to have the instruction take place at their location by contracting a series of classes of their choice. The onsite option reduces the time employees spend away from their workplace.

Some of its over 600 current and past contract clients include Washoe and Douglas counties; Nevada Division of Water and a dozen other state agencies; Tesla; Robinson Mines; Sierra Nevada Corp.; Mars Petcare; James Loudspeaker; Atlantis Casino Resort and dozens of casinos globally; several regional hospitals; and the cities of Reno, Sparks, Fernley, Fallon and Carson City.

“Extended Studies truly is a nexus for community,” said Dawna Snyder, unit director. “Our programs bring opportunities to all ages, from our KIDS University camps to our professional development certificate classes, which connect the public with the University, businesses to their community and students to their futures.

“Extended Studies is always here to encourage growth, connection and academia. We do some amazing things around here, and I'm so proud to be a part of it,” she said. 

For more information about Extended Studies courses, please visit Extended Studies or email Extended Studies.