WDWCP Learning: Wait, I Have To Go To Class?

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Mark Twain said, "Never let your schooling interfere with your education--or your days off!"

Once you’ve decided to participate in the Walt Disney World College Program, you must then decide if you want to take classes. Since most everybody in the WDWCP is a current college student (more about being a non-current student at the end of this article) and on a strict graduation deadline, you will probably have to receive some form of academic credit to participate in the program if you want to graduate in four years. This means you’ll have to attend a least a few classes while working for The Mouse.

Don’t worry, you won’t have to pack your protractor. Disney offers a number of courses recommended for credit by the American Council on Education (ACE) and are actually interesting and directly apply to working in one of the largest entertainment companies in the world. The list of credited classes include:
Advanced Studies in Hospitality Management
Corporate Analysis
Corporate Communication
Creativity & Innovation: Gaining the Edge
Experiential Learning
Human Resource Management
Marketing You
Organizational Leadership

Be warned. It is completely up to your school to accept the Disney courses, and many institutions will not accept them as transferable credits, especially if you’re studying a particularly technical field. Your best bet is to print out the syllabi on the official WDWCP page and meet with your academic adviser. Be polite, dress professionally, maybe place a shiny red apple on their desk and explain how the courses will complement your educational experience. If your school refuses the courses – or your adviser doesn’t like apples – your last chance is to try to gain academic credit through another institution that accepts Disney offered courses for credit.

Central Michigan University, Tulane University, Purdue University, Onondaga Community College, Montclair State University, and Mesa Community College offer Disney College Program students the chance to register for credit though their respective schools, so you might be able to enroll in one of these schools for a semester, take the Disney courses and then have the credit transferred from your temporary school to your permanent school. Confused yet? You can find links to each school’s transfer guidelines here.

If all else fails, and you absolutely cannot find any way to get credit, you can take distance or online courses during your program if your school offers them or you can wait until you graduate to participate in the program. Now technically you’re supposed to be taking a least one college course to be eligible to participate in the WDWCP, but as long as you apply during your last semester, you will still meet this requirement.

This strategy has its risks and rewards though, namely you will only have one shot to interview and be accepted. Although it is relatively easy to pass the CP interview, the WDWCP is becoming an increasingly popular program with thousands of prospective CPs each semester, so there is a chance you might not get in because of the huge demand. If, however, you are accepted in the program, you’ll still have the option of taking classes for your own intellectual curiosity or you can completely skip the Learning section altogether and enjoy your precious days by riding Rock’n’ Roller Coaster 100 times or laying by the pool.

Disney also offers other learning opportunities in addition to its accredited courses. The Professional Development Series offers courses in major-specific disciplines like engineering and finance. The Disney Exploration Series consist of several weeks of seminars designed to introduce students to how the Walt Disney Company functions on a daily basis. The Exploration Series is facilitated by Disney leaders throughout various areas of the Walt Disney World Resort and is great for networking. Best of all there are no tests, quizzes or homework! Hooray!