West Virginia University at Parkersburg will be offering a new baccalaureate degree this fall.
The college received notification this week that the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools has approved extending accreditation to include a Bachelor of Applied Technology degree to be offered by the Parkersburg institution.
"We are delighted. Area business and industry has cited the need for this degree and we are pleased to be able to offer it," WVU Parkersburg President Erik Bitterbaum noted. "This is a perfect complement to our other technical degrees and a natural progression in responding to area need."
The degree offers area residents the opportunity to pursue a career as a manager/executive or engineering technician in business, industry, education and government. The career is identified as one of the largest growing occupations in the next five years, Bill Brown, associate dean/chairman of WVU Parkersburg’s Technology Division, said.
"The BAT degree is designed to fulfill the needs of businesses and industries in the Mid-Ohio Valley," Brown explained. "They provided input into the curriculum design so our graduates will have the foundation skills that technical and/or management oriented professionals need to be successful."
Graduates of applied technology programs are involved primarily with the management, operation and maintenance of complex technological systems.
WVU Parkersburg’s BAT degree has three specialized options: information systems, management and technology. Students will complete the college’s Associate in Applied Science degree in Engineering Technology or the AAS degree in Computer and Information Technology, Occupational Development or Technical Studies and then advance to the final two years of study in the BAT program.
The NCA’s Higher Learning Commission Board of Trustees approved accreditation of the BAT program June 25 in a meeting in Chicago.
WVU Parkersburg now offers three baccalaureate degrees. The college also offers baccalaureate degrees in business administration and elementary education. In addition, West Virginia University delivers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and its Regents Bachelor of Arts degree to the Parkersburg campus.
Additional information about the BAT degree is available by contacting Brown at 304.424.8218. Fall semester classes begin August 20.
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For additional information, contact:
Connie Dziagwa
Director, Communications and Public Relations
WVU Parkersburg
(304-424-8203)