Two-year degrees work for some, not for others

Kathryn Frey was tired of doing what she considers menial jobs. The 39-year-old Loveland resident attended cosmetology school when she was young, and she and her husband started their own property maintenance business.

But she wanted more.

She attended Front Range Community College in Fort Collins for a semester. But after looking into College America’s Fort Collins campus, she decided to switch schools. An accounting major at College America, Frey is pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

Her dream is to go into business for herself. She and fellow student Aaron Guild are in the process of starting their own tax-service business.

Frey’s goals are exactly why College America, located at Mason Street and Harmony Road, has phased out a few of its two-year associate’s degree programs in favor of bachelor’s degrees.

The Fort Collins campus offered five associate’s degree programs until about a year ago. It has phased out associate’s degrees in e-business and accounting, computer networking and computer programming, said Lamar Haynes, executive director of the Fort Collins and Cheyenne campuses.

Now it offers bachelor’s degrees in business administration and computer science. Students can also get bachelor’s degrees in accounting and health-care administration.

By spring, College America may also phase out its associate’s degree program in graphic arts in favor of a bachelor’s degree.

Associate’s degrees are still available in business and computers, but Haynes said they are not encouraged.

“A student would need to have a very good reason to want a two-year degree in those areas,” he said. “Our goal is to offer you training to get a job, not just to offer you courses.”

The college, which has mostly non-traditional students in accelerated degree programs, made the changes because of requests from area employers. The college works with employers to place students in entry-level jobs upon graduation.

College America makes changes based on recommendations from advisory boards, residents who live and work in the cities where campuses are located. College America has about 1,200 students on three campuses in Colorado, two in Arizona, one in Wyoming and one in Idaho. About 300 students attend the Fort Collins campus.

“Our advisory board members keep a pulse on what’s required for jobs in the community,” Haynes said. “What we found is in some areas, an associate’s degree is no longer enough. Students need more education and training to get jobs.”

Associates in medicine still good

That may be true for business administration and computer science, but associate’s degrees are still sufficient for some jobs in the medical industry, such as medical assisting and medical billing and coding, Haynes said.

“Associate’s degrees in medical specialties are meeting employers’ needs right now,” he said. “I do see a need for a bachelor’s in nursing. That’s something we may look at down the road.”

Other trade colleges in the Fort Collins area don’t see the need for bachelor’s degrees.

Fort Collins’ Institute for Business and Medical Careers, or IBMC, plans to stick with diploma programs and associate’s degrees in medical specialties and business administration. IBMC also offers a paralegal certificate to students who already have a bachelor’s degree in another area.

A diploma takes 15 months to complete, and an associate’s degree takes 19-20 months.

“We haven’t had any trouble finding good job opportunities for our students,´ said Steve Steele, vice president of operations for IBMC. “We intend to concentrate on what we’re the best at – offering two-year education to get into entry-level jobs.”

IBMC has partnerships with the University of Phoenix and Colorado Christian University, where students can pursue a four-year degree after attending IBMC. Most students delay their bachelor’s degrees in order to spend a few years working, Steele said.

Frey, the accounting major at College America, said she knew she wanted a bachelor’s degree before going back to school about a year ago.

“An associate’s degree wouldn’t have given me what I needed to go into business for myself,´ said Frey, a mother of five. Her 20-year-old son is also studying computers at College America.

Competition drive decisions

Computer science is one area, especially, where the college’s advisory board saw a need for more than an associate’s degree. The high-tech industry bust of a few years ago has created more competition for fewer jobs, Haynes said.

“Our students are competing against people who have bachelor’s degrees plus 10 or more years of experience,” he said. “An associate’s degree is not enough.”

Graphic arts are becoming more sophisticated, requiring more courses for students to become proficient. As a result, Haynes said, College America is looking at turning it into a bachelor’s degree.

By next year, some of College America’s campuses may add master’s degrees in business administration, nursing administration and health-care administration, said Steve Friedheim, director of public relations for College America.

“We see the trend happening all over the country,´ said Jan Friedheim, Steve Friedheim’s wife who works as a strategic coach and consultant to College America. “There was a time when a high school diploma was the highest standard. But now the master’s degree is the bachelor’s of yesterday.”

on Facebook on LinkedIn