UW-Waukesha Will Start Offering a Bachelor's Degree

The University of Wisconsin-Waukesha is one of six campuses that will offer a new bachelor of applied arts and sciences degree completion program in the fall of 2013.

It is the first time the University of Wisconsin Colleges has been accredited to offer a bachelor’s degree, according to a news release.

The University of Wisconsin Colleges received approval from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). HLC evaluators visited all UW Colleges campuses and UW Colleges Online in November and met with faculty, staff, students, administrators and stakeholders, according to a release.

UW Colleges also received continuing accreditation to offer the Associate of Arts and Science degree. The accreditation process assures students that the institution meets generally accepted standards.

The BAAS degree is a degree completion program primarily designed to help adults who have an Associate of Arts and Science degree obtain a bachelor’s degree without leaving their communities.

The degree will be offered in fall 2013 at six UW Colleges campuses in partnership with UW System universities.

The six campuses offering the degree are: UW-Waukesha (partnered with UW-Parkside), UW-Baraboo/Sauk County (partnered with UW-La Crosse), UW-Barron County in Rice Lake (partnered with UW-Superior and UW-Stout), UW-Marshfield/Wood County (partnered with UW-Stevens Point), UW-Richland in Richland Center (partnered with UW-Platteville), and UW-Rock County in Janesville (partnered with UW-Platteville). 

The BAAS degree completion program includes such innovations as credit for prior learning (including knowledge gained at a job or in the military) and a senior capstone course that will require students to be engaged in their communities via internships and service-learning.

“The BAAS degree is very timely and relevant to today’s adult students,” said Ray Cross, chancellor of UW Colleges and UW-Extension, in a news release.  “It gives place-bound individuals who might not be able to go to a four-year campus an opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree. It meets the needs of local businesses and organizations for employees who are skilled in teamwork, communications and other skills. And it meets Wisconsin’s need for a more educated workforce.”