Valencia College’s Bachelor of Applied Science in business and organizational leadership (BASBOL) program will offer two new concentrations in fall 2022: business management and leadership and change.
Since the BASBOL program first launched in the summer of 2018, the program continues to see term-to-term growth. In Summer 2018, there were 132 students enrolled and there are now 1,909 students who have enrolled in courses during the 2021-2022 academic year and declared BASBOL as their degree.
Cheri Cutter, interim dean of business at Valencia College’s West Campus, says the decision to add two new concentrations stems from a survey which showed the new concentrations are in high demand to students and the workforce.
“We wanted to look at opportunities where students can get jobs and the new concentrations ranked the highest compared to other areas,” says Cutter.
The business management concentration will focus on helping students broaden their managerial knowledge while allowing them to gain experience in critical thinking through real-world applications.
The leadership and change concentration is designed to help students broaden their skills in leading change within organizations and business. The concentration also seeks to allow students to adapt and execute leadership and change processes necessary to thrive in an ever-evolving business environment, according to Angelina Yoder, program chair of Valencia College’s business & organizational leadership program.
The BASBOL program relies heavily on free online materials and non-copyrighted materials to reduce textbook costs for students.
“All students have access to their instructional materials the first day of class,” says Cutter.
The BASBOL program can be completed fully online or in person, depending on the student’s preference.
While state universities charge more than $200 per credit hour, Florida residents in Valencia’s bachelor-degree programs pay $112.19 per credit hour and non-Florida residents pay $427.59 per credit hour for 3000- and 4000-level courses.
Cutter says the BASBOL program plans to expand to include concentrations in human resource management and social entrepreneurship, though no timelines for the expansion have been determined.
Not only is the program seeing significant growth in enrollment, but the BASBOL program has awarded 1,118 degrees since the program began. And the award rate is impressive. Since the program began, 1,181 students have applied for graduation and 1,118 students have received a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business and Organizational Leadership, creating a 95% award rate.
Cutter emphasizes that although many employers want students to have a higher education in specific fields such as business, students who graduate with a concentration may be more marketable to employers.
“There may be an employer who says, ‘we want you to have a bachelor’s degree and understand the field,’ ” says Cutter. “But students who specialize in specific concentrations graduate with a greater depth of knowledge which can help differentiate them.”
For more details about the program, please visit: http://valenciacollege.edu/businessandorganizationalleadership.