Wichita State University and Wichita Area Technical College have entered into a partnership agreement to create a joint Associate of Arts degree -- called Shocker Pathway -- that would assist students who want to begin their coursework at WATC and finish their AA degree, or beyond, at WSU.

The program is designed to create a clear and guided route toward degree completion at Wichita State. Shocker Pathway will provide a seamless transition for students through a dual admission and collaborative advising process.

Kansas technical colleges are prohibited from issuing AA degrees. But the Kansas Board of Regents has granted technical colleges the authorization to teach individual general education courses, including 46 courses that KBOR has approved for seamless transfer across the system.

In some cases, the process can be difficult and confusing for students beginning their academic career at a technical college if they decide to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Shocker Pathway will allow students to bring up to 50 hours of transferable coursework from WATC to WSU. After that, students can take an additional 15 hours at WSU targeted to specific college requirements and have their AA awarded by WSU.

This also allows students to pursue more advanced degrees at Wichita State.

“This agreement between WSU and WATC is the first of its kind, and it demonstrates how we as a university can use an innovative partnership to encourage degree completion and meet the needs of our community and students,” says WSU Provost and Senior Vice President Tony Vizzini.

Interested students can apply to the Shocker Pathway program through WATC at www.watc.edu/shockerpathway. A Shocker Pathway application will serve the needs of both institutions, and students will be pre-admitted to WSU using this application process.

Students will receive academic coaching from WATC and dual advising from the WSU Office of Adult Learning in consultation with the student’s academic advisor.

An academic plan will be developed for each student using the Shocker Pathway guide.

“As Sedgwick County institutions, WATC and WSU enjoy a strong partnership at the National Center for Aviation Training,” said WATC President Tony Kinkel. “With the formation of the Shocker Pathway, WATC and WSU are teaming up again to jointly deliver an innovative, two-year course of study in Wichita with the prestige of an Associate of Arts degree from WSU.”