In their April regular session meeting, the University of Colorado Board of Regents approved a new Associate of General Studies degree for UCCS as well as a new Graduate Certificate in Power and Energy Systems.
The proposal states that the new associate degree will require a minimum of 70 credit hours total, including 15-18 hours of general education courses. It will accommodate transfer credits and degree requirements, and all majors and degree paths will be eligible.
This is not a declarable degree, but a retroactive degree for those students who started at UCCS and earned at least 70 credits over the last 10 years but didn’t complete their degree. It provides a path for students to receive a credential for work they have completed and improves these students’ outcomes for employment.
According to the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE), those with an academic associate degree (AGS, AA, AS) had a lower unemployment rate than those with some college but no degree. The CDHE also found that median annual earnings for students with an Associate Degree of General Studies (AGS) were higher than those with a non-specified associate degree (AA or AS).
“Providing a path for students to receive a credential for work they have completed by awarding an AGS improves these students’ outcomes for employment, for returning to higher education to complete a bachelor’s degree, and for ensuring the money they have already put toward their education results in a credential,” the proposal stated. “UCCS will enable students to continue their paths to professional and
personal development.”
Initial costs for determining student eligibility, outreach to these students, and printing and mailing diplomas will be offset through a $40,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Higher Education with ongoing support provided from the campus.
The new Graduate Certificate in Power and Energy Systems is offered through the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. This certificate is for qualified professionals who want to advance their knowledge of the operation and design of electric power systems. It is also valuable for degree-seeking students looking to develop a concentration that gives them an edge in their power engineering career path.
Courses will begin with fundamental topics in power systems engineering, electric machines, and power electronics, then continue to cover more advanced topics, such as power system operation. A Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering degree is required for regular entrance into the program.