Metro Phoenix community colleges adding 4 bachelor’s degree programs

PHOENIX — The metro Phoenix community college system is adding four four-year bachelor’s degree programs in the fields of health care, business and tech to its curriculum.

One of the new Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) degree programs, a Bachelor of Science in nursing offered at GateWay Community College, will begin in the fall of 2024.

The others are scheduled to start in the fall of 2025: Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting at Paradise Valley Community College, Bachelor of Business Administration in management at Scottsdale Community College and Bachelor of Science in artificial intelligence and machine learning at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

The plans are pending Higher Learning Commission accreditation and MCCCD Governing Board approval.

“Data shows that 73% of those inquiring about our new bachelor’s degree programs are current or former Maricopa students,” MCCCD Chancellor Steven R. Gonzales said in a press release Monday.

“We are committed to creating affordable pathways for students who want to continue within our system and earn a bachelor’s degree, and our proposed program offerings for fall 2024 and 2025 will do just that.”

MCCCD is a 10-campus system with locations across the Valley that serve about 100,000 students.

In 2021, then-Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation allowing community colleges to start offering four-year degrees. Arizona community colleges previously were limited associate degrees and certificates.

MCCCD became the state’s first district to offer bachelor’s degrees after gaining accreditation for seven programs in November 2022.

The community college baccalaureate degrees are designed to help students conveniently reach their educational and career goals at less than one-third the cost of university tuition.

“At Maricopa, we continue to find innovative and creative opportunities to propel our students into a good-paying job and career after their educational experience,” MCCCD Governing Board President Marie Sullivan said in the release.

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