WWTC, Viterbo agree on credit transfer plan

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, Jun 07, 2005

Two area schools have formed a partnership in hopes of increasing the number of Wisconsin residents who have a bachelor's degree.

Starting this fall, Viterbo University and Western Wisconsin Technical College will offer computer information system students from WWTC the option of continuing their education at the Franciscan university.

Graduates from four WWTC programs - network specialist, programmer analyst, microcomputer specialist and user support and training specialist - can transfer their associate degrees toward a bachelor's degree in business administration in CIS from Viterbo.

The program includes a combination of courses from both institutions and allows for flexible class schedules, financial aid and the combined support services of both institutions, administrators said. Students will pay WWTC fees while taking classes there and Viterbo rates when studying there.

The two institutions already offer similar programs in management, early childhood education and criminal justice, Viterbo spokesman Pat Kerrigan said. They also offer associate of arts and associate of science degrees, where students can take general education courses on both campuses to earn a two-year degree for the same price.

A recent study by the Committee on Baccalaureate Expansion, a joint panel of representatives from the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Technical College systems, found that Wisconsin lags behind other states when it comes to the number of residents with bachelor's degrees.

Census figures from 2000 show that 22.4 percent of Wisconsin residents over the age of 25 have a bachelor's degree or higher. The national average was 24.4 percent; Minnesota's was 27.4 percent; and Illinois' was 26.1 percent.