Cloud computing, optics and robotics among new programs offered
With classes beginning on Aug. 21, there’s still time for new students to apply to Valencia College and enroll in classes for the fall semester.
Valencia College offers a wide variety of associate and bachelor’s degrees and short-term, job training programs, with industry-leading rates of graduation, transfer and job placement.
New this fall: Valencia College’s bachelor’s degree program in computing technology and software development is unveiling a new concentration in cloud computing for students interested in the IT field.
Cloud computing is the fastest growing field in the technology industry, and Valencia’s new coursework will give students the background necessary to manage cloud systems, which are used by many local companies. All the courses in this program are offered online.
Also new this year: Students can earn nationally recognized certifications in precision optics in a new 15-week optics certification program to meet the growing demand for precision optics and photonics technicians in Central Florida.The program, which will launch in September, will train students in optics fabrication (making lenses for industrial and military devices, equipment, and systems), optical assembly (assembling lenses and wiring systems), photonics (working with lasers for testing and communication), and fiber optics (assembling cable systems to connect various components).
Classes will be held at the Careers in Industry and Technology building at Valencia’s Osceola Campus, which is located at 1800 Denn John Lane in Kissimmee
More short-term training news: Valencia’s Accelerated Skills Training program also launched a 22-week robotics technician training program this year.
The short-term training program features two segments: a 13-week robotics technology program with training that is applicable across multiple manufacturing and logistics sectors, and another 9-week specialized robotics program that trains technicians to work in the semiconductor industry.
Classes are held at Valencia’s Advanced Robotic Learning Factory at the Osceola Campus, where students will learn how to assemble and dissemble robots and program autonomous mobile robots.
Long recognized as a national leader in academics, Valencia College was named the nation’s best community college in 2012, as the first recipient of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
For families worried about the cost of college and student loan debt, Valencia remains a very affordable option. While two-year colleges across the country have increased tuition by an average of 15% since 2014-15, Valencia College has not raised tuition during that time. Tuition for in-state students at Valencia is $103.06 per credit hour – which is about half the cost of tuition at the state’s four-year universities.
Financial aid is available – and last year, thanks to grants and scholarships, 32% of all Valencia students paid nothing out of pocket for tuition and fees.
Valencia offers classes at seven campuses in Orange and Osceola counties: East Campus, located on Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando; West Campus, located on Kirkman Road in Orlando; Winter Park Campus, located on Morse Boulevard in Winter Park; Lake Nona Campus, located on Narcoossee Road; Osceola Campus, located on Denn John Lane in Kissimmee; Poinciana Campus, located on Pleasant Hill Road in Kissimmee; and the Valencia College Downtown Campus, a shared campus with UCF.
Admissions information and the online application are available at https://valenciacollege.edu/admissions/apply.php
For more about Valencia’s Accelerated Skills Training program, please go to
https://valenciacollege.edu/academics/accelerated-skills-training/index.php