Recently, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors approved three new upper-division baccalaureate degree programs for community college students across California. As a result, Bakersfield College will offer a baccalaureate degree program in Research Laboratory Technology.

The Rip reached out to BC’s director of marketing and public relations for more information on the approved bachelor’s program, Monika Scott. She explained that the California College Chancellor’s Office had sent an email out to all the community colleges in California requesting a proposal for new Baccalaureate programs. The request was made by the governor’s enactment of assembly bill 927, which requires Calif. community college chancellors to create these programs within their role.

Scott stated, “BC faculty and administrators worked with the Kern Community College District office to identify this unique program based on employer needs and submitted the curriculum framework and employment trends to the Chancellor’s office by the due date.”

She continued, “This moved the proposal to the KCCD Board of Trustees in Sept. 2022 for their approval to detail the curriculum for a final complete program of study. In October 2022, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors approved the proposal to be one of four new Baccalaureate programs in the state.”

These approvals allowed BC science faculty to create upper-division courses for the College’s Curriculum Committee to approve, which then brought its way to the KCCD board of trustees to review and finally approve.

The new program will benefit BC students as it gives them the option to choose a different pathway that does not require a four-year institution. This is the second bachelor’s degree that BC will offer. For several years,  students have been able to obtain a baccalaureate in Industrial Automation at BC.

Scott emphasized that “These affordable and accessible paths are one way our students can secure lifelong and gainful employment to support themselves and their families right here at home, giving back to our community. This specific program is a new way to train scientists with career-focused laboratory skills instead of the traditional BS to graduate school path that is theory-focused.”

She also emphasized that it allows students to create their own research projects that could connect them with universities, companies, or government organizations related to their career goals.