Front Range Community College students will soon be able to obtain an Associate of Engineering Science degree that will enable them to transfer to the University of Colorado, Colorado State University or Colorado School of Mines to further their education.
Front Range is the first community college in Colorado to offer a two-year engineering degree, according to campus officials, and the program aims to increase diversity in a field that consists of mostly white men.
The degree program has been in the works for more than two years, said Vice President for Academic Affairs Rebecca Woulfe. The wheels started turning when Front Range faculty member and Engineering Coordinator Christy Gomez reached out to colleagues at other institutions to discuss how the community college could better prepare students who wanted to pursue four-year engineering degrees.
Before now, Gomez said, students could either complete an Associate of Science degree, which required them to take extra classes they wouldn’t need at other institutions, or they could transfer without completing a Front Range degree.
“Now that we have the Associate of Engineering Science degree, community college students can start on the same playing field as students who start at a university and ensure they’re completing their bachelor’s degree without additional time or credits,” she said.
There are currently 202 Front Range students interested in pursuing engineering, Woulfe said, and the program is set to begin in summer 2022.
Front Range worked with CU, CSU and Mines to align curriculum with what those institutions offer, Gomez said — but Front Range costs less, has smaller class sizes and support services that can help students who might not otherwise pursue engineering.
“We’re aiming to increase representation in the engineering workforce, and having this program in place will allow for that,” Gomez said. “It’s really strengthened our relationship with the universities so they can have confidence our students are learning the curriculum needed to be successful.”
Graduates who don’t want to transfer to a four-year school can also work in the industry as engineering technicians, Gomez added.
The program builds on a successful history of partnering with community colleges to make it easier for students to achieve degrees in competitive, high-demand engineering fields, said Keith Molenaar, acting dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU Boulder.
“This new agreement enables our state to maintain a competitive edge in engineering and technology while ensuring our colleges and universities continue to support workforce development needs across the Front Range,” Molenaar said in a statement.
The program is also working to offer online options for all classes to support the entirety of Front Range’s northern Colorado service area, Woulfe said.
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Front Range Community College to offer new engineering degree - The Daily Camera
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