A new transfer agreement between the University of North Georgia and Lanier Technical College aims to get students on the path to a four year degree.
The program will allow trade workers with an Associate of Applied Science to utilize credits from that coursework at Lanier Tech towards a Bachelor of Applied Science at UNG.
"For example, if they've taken their core courses, like their English, histories, and maths, those all will transfer over guaranteed, as well as if they've taken some accounting courses and an economics course - we have a requirement they have to take six course in a specific area - those four will transfer over," said Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs Michael Rogers. "Plus, they have 21 occupational hours they can transfer over, which equates to seven courses. So in other words, there's a whole lot of stuff they can transfer over that they don't have to retake."
A bachelor's degree requires 120 credits, and the transfer program allows 21 credits to carry over without a repeat course. Rogers said the BAS is offered in four concentrations: accounting, information systems, management, and marketing.
"It's important for students because they reach a point where they might be hired out of Lanier Tech, and get a decent salary, but for them to be promoted, to advance in their career and make more money, it's probably going to be beneficial to them to have a four year college degree," said Rogers. "So this allows them to build on what they've done previously at Lanier Tech, transfer it right over into UNG and give them the opportunity to get promoted to a higher level, to be advanced, and the opportunity to make more money."
Rogers thinks the transfer program is beneficial to the community as well, not just trade workers.
"Students don't have to go somewhere else to complete the degree," he said. "It provides a good opportunity - and I think this is important - for Lanier Tech and UNG to work together for the benefit of students. It's not like we're two competing institutions. Lanier Tech gives them the two years, the good base, the good background, and we take them on to another level from that point, so two academic institutions are working together.
"Plus it's better for the community because, one, it keeps students in the community and also provides the community with a more diverse, more skilled workforce."
