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Allied Health Sciences to Offer New Degree

BIG RAPIDS – Students interested in a career in health care have a new degree option at Ferris State University. Offered through the College of Allied Health Sciences, the Associate of Applied Science degree was recently approved by the University’s board of trustees.

The new degree benefits two groups of students enrolled in the CAHS, including recipients of Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) funding who want to earn a bachelor’s degree at Ferris. These students, many of whom initially pursue four-year degrees in health care, can now earn a two-year degree, continue pursuit of a bachelor’s and remain TIP eligible.

The A.A.S. also is beneficial to students, who for a variety of reasons, decide to step out of their program, or who are unable to progress in their program of choice, by providing them with a core set of skills that will allow them to obtain employment in a health care setting. According to CAHS Dean Ellen Haneline, there are 25 to 30 students each year that are unable to enter their degree program of choice, with half of those students choosing to leave the University without a degree.

The A.A.S. degree provides an opportunity for those students to obtain a degree that will lead to their employment in the healthcare field.

Haneline believes the new A.A.S. degree reflects the University’s continuing mission of providing career-oriented education and opportunity for its students.

“I believe this new degree really goes along with Ferris’ philosophy of opportunity for students to attend college and to be successful in college as they prepare for their careers,” she said. “There are so many students who want to attend college and want to be successful, and this is going to go a long way in continuing the University’s mission.”