A new partnership between Bemidji State University and the Alexandria Technical College allows students to receive a two-year associate of arts degree (AA).
The AA is a generalist degree designed to satisfy liberal education requirements and prepare students for work on a bachelor's degree in any field at virtually all universities across North America.
Over a two-year period, Alexandria Technical College will offer on its campus 40 of the 64 credits needed to obtain the degree. Bemidji State University will provide 24 credits in a variety of delivery methods, including online, television, self-directed study, and in-classroom instruction.
The resulting degree will be conferred by Bemidji State University.
"Alexandria Technical College is excited to welcome Bemidji State University as an education partner in west central Minnesota," said Jan Doebbert, dean of technical Programs and CIO for the college. "This partnership links the reputation for quality technical education at Alexandria Technical College together with Bemidji State University's innovative programs and broad based curriculum. It's bringing two legends of the north woods together.
"For Alexandria Technical College, this partnership will allow individuals in the workplace or those choosing to live at home after high school graduation to access the most widely recognized undergraduate transfer degree available, the AA degree. The connection between the two-year college and the University provides a clear pathway for continued pursuit of higher degrees. And, the partnership will allow both institutions to leverage the resources of faculty, facilities, and technology in responding to the demands of local students," said Doebbert.
"Graduates of this program will see real benefits as they are exposed to a more expansive education through the associate in arts degree and realize they may transfer with greater ease to a college or university."
Alexandria Technical College and Bemidji State University are members of the Minnesota State Colleges and University System. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 240,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 130,000 students in non-credit courses.
Minnesota Online (www.minnesotaonline.org) is the state's largest public provider of online education and is growing rapidly. During 2005-2006, 42,120 students took Minnesota Online courses from one of the system's 32 institutions. That's up more than 11,000 students from the previous year.