Pictured, from left, Cowley College Natural Science Department Chair Dr. Scott Layton, Cowley College vice president of academic affairs Dr. Michelle Schoon, and Cowley College president Dr. Dennis C. Rittle. Photo by Rama Peroo. (Photo courtesy Cowley College)
Cowley College and Wichita State University signed an articulation agreement to coordinate the pre-engineering curriculum, leading to a Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering, according to a news release from the college.
The articulation allows for 49 credits of Cowley College course work to be accepted into the Aerospace Engineering program, with the students completing 81 hours of course work at Wichita State University.
Pre-engineering course work can be completed at the Cowley College Mulvane Science, Engineering and Academic Center and at the main campus in Arkansas City. Cowley students can seamlessly transfer their credits into WSU’s Aerospace Engineering degree.
Cowley College vice president of academic affairs Dr. Michelle Schoon said he is excited about this partnership.
“This is Cowley’s first chance to be involved with an Aerospace Engineering degree pathway,” Schoon said. “Wichita State has been very gracious in working with transferability of courses and articulation of courses. Being able to take our Engineering courses into their Aerospace program is a really significant advantage to Cowley College students.”
Being a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, there is a personal aspect to this agreement for Cowley College president Dr. Dennis C. Rittle, according to Cowley.
“We live near the air capitol of the world, so the opportunity to work with a valued university partner to provide opportunities for our students to enter into an industry which is vital to our state’s economy, and which our state is known for worldwide, is a great opportunity and we thank WSU for this partnership,” Rittle said. “It is very satisfying to know that we are able to continue to advance that industry and help our students make better lives for themselves.”
The aerospace engineering articulation agreement is the most recent of several engineering agreements with WSU. This articulation adds to the existing agreements in Biomedical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Computer Science.
“These agreements provide the student with a roadmap of coursework and the assurance that courses will transfer in a way that allows the student to graduate on time,” Cowley College Natural Science Department Chair Dr. Scott Layton said. “We are looking forward to partnering with WSU by developing additional agreements in the near future.”
According to Wichita State University professor of aerospace engineering Dr. Roy Myose, WSU suggested three pathways for Cowley to consider.
“I think that Cowley chose the option which makes it easier for transfers from Cowley to transition very well into our program and ultimately become successful aerospace engineers,” Myose said.
A couple of years ago Myose helped establish an Applied Propulsion track within the Aerospace Engineering program of General Electric’s Strother Field facility in Arkansas City and Wellington.
“We hope that some of Cowley’s students who transfer to WSU will choose to pursue this optional track,” Myose said.
For more information on this articulation agreement and other partnerships between Cowley College and WSU, please contact 800-593-2222.
