News Releases

For Immediate Release

May 13, 2016

 Clark College seeks to offer new Bachelor of Applied Science degree  

The new BAS in Applied Management would be the college’s second baccalaureate
program if approved by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

VANCOUVER, Wash.— Clark College received approval last week from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (WSBCTC) to offer a new Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree in Applied Management. Next, Clark is seeking approval from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), the college’s regional accrediting body, to offer and begin the Applied Management program in January 2017. 

“This is an exciting and important step towards being able to give more students access to a bachelor’s degree program that is relevant, affordable, and available where they live and work,” said Dr. Tim Cook, Vice President of Instruction at Clark College. “Students who earn this degree increase their opportunities to advance in their careers, earn higher wages and salaries, and to start and own businesses. These are all vital to the health and economic stability of our region.”

The BAS in Applied Management is designed for students who have completed an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or Associate in Applied Technology (AAT) degree. The program combines technical, academic, and professional courses to help students earn a bachelor’s degree that provides the applied managerial knowledge and expertise employers are seeking. The program structure includes in-person, online, and hybrid evening classes that allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree in as little as two years.

This would be the college’s second applied baccalaureate degree program. Last year, Clark began offering a BAS in Dental Hygiene to provide additional job opportunities to students while adding few additional courses to their degree plan. The Bachelor of Applied Science degree program availability at community and technical colleges is the result of legislative efforts that began in 2005 with the passage of House Bill 1794. In 2010, the Legislature moved the program out of pilot status as part of SSB 6355, the System Design Plan bill, and removed the limitation on the number of colleges that could offer the programs. New BAS degree programs must address the following areas: regional student and employer demand with an emphasis on serving place-bound students, alignment with existing programs offered by the college, a rigorous curriculum, qualified faculty, appropriate student services, and capacity to make a long-term commitment of resources.

About Clark College
Located in Vancouver’s Central Park and serving more than 13,000 students per quarter, Clark College is Washington State’s second largest single-campus, for-credit community college. The college currently offers classes at two satellite locations: one on the Washington State University Vancouver campus and one in the Columbia Tech Center in East Vancouver. Additionally, its Corporate & Continuing Education program is housed in the Columbia Bank building in downtown Vancouver.

 

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For additional information: 
Toccara Stark
Telephone:  360-992-2526
Email:  tstark@clark.edu