If all goes as planned, Northwest College will begin offering baccalaureate of applied science degrees beginning one year from now, starting in the fall 2020 semester.

“It’s really exciting,” said NWC President Stefani Hicswa.

These degrees differ from university bachelor degrees,  meant for students who are working in a trade, hold an associate’s in applied science and want to move into management positions in their trade or start their own business.

In many states, community colleges are prohibited from offering the four-year degrees.

It was only in the last legislative session that Wyoming passed a bill permitting its community colleges to offer the degrees.

The Joint Education Committee in Cody last week received an update on progress towards offering these programs.

Angela Kersenbrock, president of the Community College Baccalaureate Association out of Florida, explained how the degrees differ from the bachelor’s degrees offered at universities.

She explained the programs offer professional training for those who want to develop professionally, either to start their own business or move into leadership positions in their field.

The program typically attracts non-traditional students who are working, and most of them enroll part-time.

“These are workforce-focused degrees, and they’re very specific,” Kersenbrock explained.

For example, a welder who has completed an associate’s in applied science in welding might want to open her own shop or advance in a company. The bachelor’s of applied science would help them do that.

Kersenbrock explained that the degrees are often tailored to a specific industry looking to develop a workforce. The colleges often partner with companies, which provide faculty and sometimes tuition support. The programs end up being tailored to specific needs in the region the colleges serves.

Speaking after the committee meeting, Hicswa said the Powell area really doesn’t have a single industry to partner with in that way. Instead, NWC will offer a generalized degree that could apply to many industries.

Gerald Giraud, vice president of academic affairs at NWC, said the demand for this kind of program is coming from students working in a range of fields.

“We think it’s an unmet need in the area,” he said.

Kersenbrock also pointed out these degrees are not meant to compete with universities. The adult students who’d pursue the baccalaureate degrees wouldn’t find university programs to be a good fit.

“This should not divide universities against community colleges,” she said. “You should make sure that doesn’t happen.”

At its last meeting, the NWC Board of Trustees authorized the college to move forward with developing its program. The request will now go to the Wyoming Community College Commission in October, and that board must also give NWC authorization to proceed. After that, the college must submit an application — including a business plan showing the program will be sustainable — to the national Higher Learning Commission. After the HLC’s review, all three entities will need to grant final approval.