The State Regents recently approved a request from 10 more state system colleges to offer the Associate in Applied Science in Applied Technology as a statewide pilot collaborative program to provide a degree completion mechanism for adult learners who have received an industry recognized credential, earned previous college credit in a technical field, or require specialized interdisciplinary training.
Carl Albert State College, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Murray State College, Northern Oklahoma College, Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology, Redlands Community College, Rogers State University, Rose State College, Seminole State College, and Western Oklahoma State College will join Tulsa Community College to offer the new program, which will be available via traditional and electronic delivery statewide. TCC’s pilot AAS in Applied Technology program was approved by the State Regents at their April 22, 2020 meeting.
“For many adult learners, family commitments, work responsibilities and financial pressures have been barriers to college degree completion in the past, and this collaborative program will allow them to finish the college degrees they started while using industry credentials earned in their previous work,” said Chancellor Glen D. Johnson. “The new AAS in Applied Technology partnership will provide specific technical knowledge and skills to prepare these students for employment, career advancement, or entry into a bachelor of technology program. This collaboration reflects public higher education’s continuing efforts to increase college degree completion and expand academic innovations as recommended by the 2018 Task Force on the Future of Higher Education.”
The Chief Academic Officers from each of the 11 colleges worked to develop pathways to complete an applied associate’s degree for students who have earned an industry recognized credential through the completion of a program at an Oklahoma technology center or other entity, to award a block of technical credit for industry recognized credentials earned, and to combine general education coursework with specific technical knowledge and skills in preparation for employment or career advancement.
Institutions participating in this pilot program will leverage partnerships with local employers in the fields of criminal justice, allied health/healthcare, manufacturing, information technology, agriculture, aerospace, cybersecurity, digital media, computer science, and engineering to address area workforce needs.
All general education courses required for the collaborative degree program are currently listed on the state system Course Equivalency Project Matrix to guarantee transferability among institutions, along with a listing of industry credentials found on the Statewide Technical Assessment Inventory. Information about these course and industry credential listings can be found at https://showwhatyouknowok.org/. Existing courses, faculty, and resources will support the program at each participating campus.