UVa-Wise to offer high-tech cohort degree program

This fall, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise will offer students the opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s degree in management information systems (MIS) through the College’s first cohort program, presented at the UVa-Wise Abingdon campus. Those interested in the program are strongly encouraged to attend an information session on Thursday, Aug. 9, at 6 p.m. in room 240 of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) in Abingdon.

The MIS degree program is designed to prepare students for employment in technology-related management positions. Coursework will also provide the necessary background for graduate work in the field.

“There is tremendous growth in the demand for technology professionals in the region,” said Alex Edwards, chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. “Students in this program will have a unique opportunity to participate in that growth.”

The new MIS cohort program is an aggressive effort by UVa-Wise to add a high-tech degree program that is convenient for non-traditional students. The College also boasts Virginia’s only undergraduate degree in software engineering, available to students attending classes at the campus in Wise.

The MIS cohort curriculum is a combination of business administration and computer science courses and is designed for students who have completed an articulated two-year community college degree.

Students participating in the cohort program will study together for the duration of the program. Part-time schedules for the cohort’s coursework have already been established, but students will have the option of full-time status.

Coursework will include a mixture of online and face-to-face classes. Required courses for the fall semester include “Foundations of Computer Programming in C/C++” (COSC 181), which will meet at SVHEC on Wednesday nights from 6 to 9:45 p.m., and “Principles of Marketing” (BUAD 318), which will be offered online.

“We want to encourage this program’s students to try something new and look forward to the future,” said Rachel D. Fowlkes, executive director of SVHEC. “Students will have access to a variety of courses to fully explore this exciting field of study.”

The only branch campus of the University of Virginia, UVa-Wise is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report. The College offers undergraduate and professional programs in the liberal arts tradition of Thomas Jefferson.

The College’s Abingdon campus is based at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, located off Exit 14 on Interstate 81 in Abingdon.

For more information, contact Courtney Conner, site director for the UVa-Wise Abingdon campus, at 276-619-4317.

Posted August 7, 2007