History of FDU Lifelong Learning

In 1964, Edward Williams College, a 2-year college offering associate degrees, opened its doors. For the next 30+ years, it would continue to offer highly personalized instruction and guidance to students on what is now known as the Metro Campus.

Fast forward to 1998, the year in which a new College of General and Continuing Studies was formed to address the special educational needs of nontraditional students, including Adult Learners. The College of General and Continuing Studies would subsume Edward Williams College and add many additional programs and specialized offerings in the ensuing years. In 2005, the College would be renamed the Anthony J. Petrocelli College of Continuing Studies in recognition of the generosity of Anthony J. Petrocelli and his wife, Antoinette. Petrocelli College remained in place for 15 years and introduced a wide array of programs to serve a highly varied population of adult and nontraditional learners.

Lifelong Learning at FDU was formally launched in February of 2024. The launch of Lifelong Learning has enabled the University to embrace and acknowledge the various learners served by this unit. The Petrocelli name lives on through the Petrocelli Center for Continuing Studies, a key component of Lifelong Learning at FDU.