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Houston Community College (HCC) will begin the next academic year with two new bachelor's-level degree programs to offer, according to a Community Impact article that was run by ABC affiliate KTRK.
In a first for the 51-year-old institution, students as of fall 2023 can enroll to obtain four-year degrees in applied technology in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics and applied science in healthcare management.
HCC Chancellor Dr. Cesar Maldonado told the publication that the programs are an example of how they provide to those “in our service area.”
"With these two inaugural bachelor's degree programs, we give students an opportunity to start and complete their four-year education on the same HCC campus,” Maldonado said.
Per the report, the State of Texas granted HCC Level 2 baccalaureate-granting status late last year, which was made possible by a law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2017 that gave the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) the power to sign off on two-year schools having four-year programs in applied science, applied technology and nursing.
HCC’s decision to offer a bachelor’s devoted to the study of AI is seemingly natural since it was the first school in Texas to offer an associate’s degree in AI, Zen Zheng, HCC’s communications director, said in the report.
AI itself has made significant inroads in various sectors of society, especially with its use in academia being widely debated.
"The new bachelor of applied technology in artificial intelligence and robotics will address a growing and critical need for skilled workers in a rapidly evolving technical field," Zheng told Community Impact.
The Applied Science in Healthcare Management program is geared toward setting students up for career advancement or entry-level health care managerial positions, according to the publication.
HCC said students who attend other community colleges and universities can enroll in either major so as long as they fulfill the degrees’ background requirements.