Skagit Valley College offers bachelor’s degree in health management

— from Arden Ainley for Skagit Valley College —

Skagit Valley College (SVC) is pleased to announce that it has received approval from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), the College’s regional accrediting body, to offer a new Healthcare Management track under SVC’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management (BASAM) degree.

The BASAM is a two-year, career-oriented degree designed for those who have completed an associate’s degree (AAS-T, AAS or ATA). The new Healthcare Management track caters to individuals who want to take their associate degree and life skills and pursue a career in healthcare management. The track will especially appeal to those who have worked in billing and coding, medical assisting, physical therapy technicians, and those who have completed their nursing pre-requisites, but didn’t enter a program.

The 90-credit program combines upper-level managerial and general education courses and provides occupationally contextualized skills and knowledge typically necessary for advancement to managerial-level positions in healthcare. Participants in the healthcare track will be part of the BASAM cohort, but they will also take a series of specific healthcare courses.

Applications are now being accepted for the BASAM general management and the healthcare tracks. Interested individuals must attend a program briefing before applying. The incoming healthcare track is limited to 15 people, while the general management track has an upper limit of 25. Classes for both tracks will begin Fall Quarter 2020. For program information, or to register for a program briefing, please visit www.skagit.edu/basam, or contact Sunaina Virendra (Sue-nay-nah Ver-en-dra), Applied Management Instructor and Program Chair 360-416-7635
or basam@skagit.edu.

About Applied Bachelor’s degrees in Washington: Some individuals earn a non-transfer, professional/technical degree at a community or technical college and later decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree. In response to that need, many community and technical colleges in Washington, including Skagit Valley College, now offer applied bachelor’s degrees where people can take two more years of upper-level coursework to earn their four-year degree. Those with work and family responsibilities can pursue their degree where they live, work, and raise their families. SVC’s new BASAM track represents the College’s third BAS offering. SVC also offers a BAS in Applied Management General Management track and a BAS in Environmental Conservation.