The University of Wisconsin-Parkside will introduce five associate degrees to its academic offerings next fall to meet the career needs of regional students, particularly those who have already completed college credits.
Associate of arts degrees will be available for liberal studies and leadership as well as professional studies at the Kenosha-based university. Associate of science degrees will be offered for financial economics, laboratory science and physics.
“The new, highly specialized associate degrees broaden our academic portfolio and are aligned with regional needs,” UW-Parkside chancellor Debbie Ford said in a press release. “They also help strengthen the many partnerships we have with Gateway Technical College and other institutions of higher education in southeastern Wisconsin that provide opportunities for students to reach their academic goals.”
UW-Parkside is the ninth four-year school in the UW System to give students associate degree options. The university’s Faculty Senate approved graduation requirements for associate degrees this year. Moving forward, each UW-Parkside college will be able to structure specific associate degree programs, which will need final approval from the Faculty Senate.
The new degrees will open up a more affordable education pathway, according to university officials, while also offering students who have already completed some college credit a new academic course to pursue.
For instance, students holding some university credit will be able to attain an associate degree in physics at UW-Parkside and transfer to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s College of Engineering & Applied Science to fulfill a bachelor’s degree in engineering. UW-Parkside has developed an educational partnership with UWM to make that transfer possible for students.
Other associate degree programs, such as the associate of arts in liberal studies and leadership and the associate of arts in professional studies, will give students a spectrum of options as they look ahead to the kind of bachelor’s degree they want to chase.
“Upon completion of the associate of arts degree, students possess critical skills necessary to navigate the increasingly complex employment landscape and will have the option to continue toward a bachelor’s degree in a number of different majors,” said DeAnn Possehl, UW-Parkside executive director for educational outreach and adult/nontraditional pathways. “The flexibility of the associate of arts degree is a perfect option for adults who started college and never finished or who are just now getting ready to start.”
