Tallahassee Community College received approval from the State Board of Education to add three new bachelor’s degree programs: Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Student Education.
“We are excited to receive approval for three new degrees,” Tallahassee Community College’s President Jim Murdaugh. “Pursuing these programs represents our steadfast commitment to producing qualified, in-demand talent for our community.”
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Calandra Stringer said the new baccalaureate programs will support the growing need in our area for more skilled workers in entry-level business and administration roles, and will help address the critical teacher shortage both locally and throughout the state.
“We are grateful to the State Board of Education and our colleagues at Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and Flagler College for their support in bringing these programs to our campus,” Stringer noted.
According to a press release from the community college, the Bachelor of Applied Science in business administration will prepare graduates for roles such as human resource managers, management analysts, personal service managers, administrative services managers, and sales managers.
Labor market projections from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity indicate an increase in demand of 880 annual job openings in TCC’s service area. With a five-year average supply of approximately 200 qualified candidates, the program will help increase the supply of talent to bridge the gap.
“TCC has approximately 1,400 currently enrolled students interested in earning a bachelor’s degree in business,” Stringer said.
The Bachelor of Science in elementary education will prepare graduates for certification in elementary education kindergarten through sixth and includes opportunities to take and pass subject area exams to qualify to teach other subjects in middle and high school. Labor market projections from the Department of Economic Opportunity indicate an increase in demand of 89 annual job openings in Tallahassee Community College’s service area. The five-year average supply has been approximately 42, which brings the annual workforce unmet need to 47.
Additionally, the Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Student Education will prepare graduates for the Florida Elementary Teacher Certification (K-12) and endorsements in Exceptional Student Education, as well as the ESOL (K-12). Unmet need in this field is based on the trends in the education field, which equate to 89 annual job openings in TCC’s service district. Regarding the five-year average supply, FSU’s similar degree program only produces an average supply of approximately 22, which brings the annual workforce unmet need to 57. Tallahassee Community College’s education programs are needed to fill both of these critical teacher shortage areas.
The school already has a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing program, which was launched in Fall 2016.
All three new programs are expected to launch in fall 2023.
