Success Stream - Jan. 11, 2008
Margie Vance
Have you ever wondered how you can go to college while at the same time taking care of life’s demands and working either full-time or part-time? Well don’t stress anymore; NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) has a way for you to improve your quality of life by reaching your academic goals.
The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Business Management, Retail Option features a new approach to help you reach your goals. At times, whenever we think about pursuing a college degree it is like trying to eat an elephant in a single bite. However, this degree can be obtained by completing coursework for four certificates, thus helping students celebrate success one certificate at a time, or in other words “one bite at a time.” When you’ve completed the certificates, you will be awarded the degree, the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Business Management, Retail Option!
Graduates will be able to see, touch, feel, and immediately benefit from completing each certificate, thus helping them to better market themselves and advance their careers. This degree caters to individuals who may either already be in the Retail sector or would like to transform their Retail job into a lifelong, lucrative career. It is also designed to help undecided students take advantage of the opportunity to obtain a tangible and usable certificate to help them qualify for a better paying job. This program prepares individuals to enter the business world by giving them the necessary tools to be successful.
No other community college in the nation offers this innovative and unique way to help students complete an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Retail. That is, students have the option to either complete the entire degree (63-64 hours) or complete one of the following four certificates: Communication Certificate (15 hours); Quantitative Analysis (15 hours); Business Ethics Certificate (12 hours); and Retail Management Certificate (21 hours). Most courses are offered online for convenience and flexibility.
In addition, plans are underway at NWACC for a new building that will be built adjacent to the existing Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies to house the Retail Management and Marketing Analyst Certificate Programs, as well as Business Development Studies, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Transportation and Logistics, Culinary Studies, K-University Partnership and the Entrepreneurial Resource Center. NWACC has also partnered with the Global Corporate College (http://www.globalcorporatecollege.com/members.asp) to offer the degree online nationwide. We have invited key individuals in the community to join our new National Retail Management Advisory Board, and we have plans to partner with retailers to offer internships to our students. So, you can stop worrying about how to complete your college degree. NWACC is here to help you celebrate academic success one certificate at a time!
My name is Margie Vance and I am the Director of the new Retail Management Program overseeing the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Business Management, Retail Option. I can be reached at 479-986-4070 or via e-mail at mvance@nwacc.edu.