The University of Louisiana at Lafayette and South Louisiana Community College have created another pathway for students to earn degrees from both institutions.
The most recent transfer pathway agreement – between UL Lafayette’s College of Nursing & Health Sciences and SoLAcc’s Division of Nursing and Allied Health – was signed on Thursday, March 26.
The agreement enables graduates who hold associate’s degrees in health studies from SoLAcc to apply 55 course credits earned at the community college toward UL Lafayette’s 120-credit hour bachelor’s degree in health services administration.
The University’s health services administration degree is delivered solely online, with courses offered in 8-week or 16-week sessions, depending on the course. It is designed for students who envision careers in administrative, management and other leadership positions in the health care industry.
The program’s curriculum provides graduates knowledge and training in a range of areas, including health care policy, regulations, privacy laws, facility operations, strategic initiatives, data systems, billing, coding and insurance, and employee recruitment and development.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities for medical and health services managers– which are among several key roles sought by graduates who earn the bachelor’s degree in health services administration – are projected to increase 23% through 2034.
Dr. Anita Hazelwood, who leads UL Lafayette’s Department of Health Sciences, said the transfer pathway agreement between the two schools enables a greater number of students to achieve their academic and career goals in a rapidly evolving industry.
“It paves the way for students who already have a solid academic foundation – thanks to the strength of SoLAcc’s associate degree in health studies – to move seamlessly into the University’s bachelor’s degree in health services administration program. It’s a win-win for each of our institutions and our students,” Hazelwood explained.
SoLAcc’s associate degree in health studies, like the University’s bachelor’s degree in health services administration, is designed for students who envision building careers in health care that extend beyond patient care.
The associate degree program equips students with knowledge and experience to become leaders in areas such as hospital administration, EMS coordination, data management and health care marketing.
Dr. Harmony Rochon, assistant dean of Allied Health at South Louisiana Community College, said its health studies program offers quality training to students who aspire to meaningful health care careers – and increases their opportunities for evolving and advancing in those careers.
“Our health studies degree serves a diverse population of students who may engage in end points including medical lab science, medical assisting, nursing and other aspects of health care. And this new transfer pathway agreement gives our health studies graduates more options once they enter the workforce,” Rochon explained.
In addition to this latest pathway transfer agreement, the institutions have similar agreements in place for SoLAcc graduates to earn bachelor’s degrees from the University. Those are: a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration; bachelor’s degrees in chemical, civil, electrical and computer, mechanical, or petroleum engineering the College of Engineering; and bachelor’s degrees in environmental science and informatics from the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences.
