Articulated Associate in Sciences Engineering Degree

Recent reports such as “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” 1 have highlighted the growing concern for the shortage of engineers in the United States. The escalating need for engineers will not be met from the pool of college-ready students who have chosen to pursue a career in engineering. This is especially true for many underserved segments of the population. There is a critical need for engineering transfer programs to provide the means for students who are not academically or financially prepared to advance towards a university degree in engineering. Richland College is a comprehensive community college located in Dallas, Texas. It is part of the Dallas County Community College District and serves approximately 15,000 credit students 2 . The articulated engineering transfer agreements signed between Richland College and area universities resulted in the creation of an Associate in Sciences (AS) with Emphasis in Electrical Engineering degree. The AS Engineering degree replicates the first two years of a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) degree and allows students who successfully complete the AS degree to gain automatic admission to a university and a guaranteed block transfer of 62-66 credit hours. This paper includes a description of this innovative program as well as quantitative data related to student demographics and academic performance. Initial analyses of AS Engineering graduates provides evidence the program is providing a viable means for under prepared students to reach their educational goal of a BS Engineering degree. Results from a university study 3 indicate the performance between students who entered the university as freshmen and those who transferred from Richland College were comparable in sequenced engineering and math courses. Retention figures after transfer are encouraging, with over 89% of the AS Engineering graduates enrolling in an engineering program.