“We are grateful to the HLC for recognizing industry need in this area of study and employment,” said Clark State President Dr. Jo Alice Blondin. “Our industry partners worked diligently to develop a viable and relevant curriculum in this area. It’s an opportunity to provide higher education for an industry important to our region’s economic and overall health.”
RELATED: Clark State gets approval to move ahead with bachelor’s program
The program will be a combination of front-end (web design) and back-end (web development) skills with an emphasis on work-based opportunities such as internships and experiential learning, according to a news release.
“The primary goal of Clark State’s Web Design and Development bachelor’s degree is to prepare students for employment as full stack developers, web developers, web designers, front-end developers, and software developers,” said Scott Dawson, coordinator of graphic design and new media at Clark State.
College officials say this degree is a first of its kind in Ohio, and is listed as one of the In-Demand Careers by Ohio Means Jobs.
“In the State of Ohio, there are no other bachelor’s degree programs or programs at any level that prepare students to enter into all of those worlds as a full stack developer,” Dawson said.
The dean of business and applied technologies say employers have been asking Clark State to develop a program that would help address both the front-end and back-end needs.
“One employer compared finding someone with these skills as ‘The Unicorn’,” Aimee Belanger-Haas said. “Clark State is very happy to help develop new unicorns to help employers with their needs related to the workforce.”
RELATED: Clark State offering first bachelor’s degree program; enrollment open
The industry partners who have committed to internships said they would be providing between 27 and 52 internships per year.
An advisory committee of industry partners will continue to meet regularly to discuss changes in the industry, recommend skills needed and suggest curriculum adjustments, Blondin said.
“Clark State is an affordable option with a total price tag of approximately $17,000, inclusive of tuition and fees,” Blondin said. “Clark State’s mission is to serve our communities by providing the highest quality education to all individuals and to help them succeed. This degree provides both access to a four-year degree for students who may not otherwise pursue this level of education, as well as the wraparound services that will help them complete the degree.”
The Springfield News-Sun is committed to covering issues related to education in Clark and Champaign Counties and has provided extensive coverage of Clark State Community College’s path to offering bachelor degree programs.
FACTS AND FIGURES
2018 Clark State was approved to offer first bachelor’s degree
1,128 Number of full-time students enrolled at Clark State
$160.33 Cost of Clark State’s tuition per credit hour
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