Seattle Central receives approval to offer new bachelor’s degree in Allied Health
Residents of the Puget Sound region have a new option to prepare for careers in the rapidly growing healthcare sector now that Seattle Central Community College received approval today from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to offer its second bachelor’s degree: a Bachelor of Applied Science in Allied Health.
“Healthcare is one of the most important components of our regional economy, and the graduates who earn this degree will be well-prepared, with the technical skills, knowledge, leadership and critical thinking necessary to be successful health practitioners,” Seattle Central President Paul T. Killpatrick, Ph.D., said.
The new degree program will become a cornerstone of a proposed satellite campus in the iconic Pacific Tower on Beacon Hill, which will house Seattle Central’s healthcare training programs.
Extensive research by Seattle Central into the healthcare labor market indicated a projected increase in the number of jobs served by this degree. The minimum level of education for many health-related professions is now a bachelor’s degree.
In the first phase of the degree program, students can pursue one of two specialized “tracks” in either Respiratory Care or Dental Hygiene, building on Central’s current associate degree programs in these areas. Students will be admitted in early 2014, take coursework to complete their associate degrees, and then begin the formal bachelor’s degree program in January of 2015. The second phase of the degree will grow to include two additional tracks: in Healthcare Services Management and in Community Health and Education. In all, approximately 85 students will be enrolled across all four tracks each year.
The program is designed for individuals who have earned (or are in the process of earning) associate degrees and certificates, as well those who are currently working in the field and seek career advancement. It will allow them the flexibility to study either full-time or part-time, with some coursework accomplished online.
The new bachelor’s degree joins Seattle Central’s other four-year degree program in Applied Behavioral Science, which prepares students for careers in social services, early childhood education, family support services and other fields. Since its inception in 2009, the program has graduated 53 students. Seattle Central is currently developing a third bachelor’s degree, in Nursing, that, if approved, is slated to begin enrolling students later next year.
Community colleges like Seattle Central have historically offered only certificates and two-year degrees. Studies have concluded that existing universities are not able to provide enough graduates with bachelor’s degrees to meet the employment needs of companies and organizations here in Washington. As a result, the Washington State Legislature voted several years ago to allow community and technical colleges to offer applied bachelor’s degrees to meet this demand.