School will offer new engineering degree
Front Range Community College students soon will be able to obtain an associate degree in engineering science that will enable them to transfer to the University of Colorado, Colorado State University or the 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 mostly of 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 complete an associate degree in science, 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 202 Front Range students interested in pursuing engineering, Woulfe said, and the program is set to begin next summer.
Front Range worked with CU, CSU and Mines to align the curriculum with what those institutions offer, Gomez said — but Front Range costs less, has smaller class sizes and has 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 fouryear school can 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, highdemand engineering fields, said Keith Molenaar, acting dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU.
“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 also is working to offer online options for all classes to support the entirety of Front Range’s northern Colorado service area, Woulfe said.