Georgia Highlands College (GHC) is expanding its class schedule this fall, offering an Associate of Science in Business Administration (ASBA) degree that can be completed in two years requiring only one night a week on campus, along with one or two online classes per 8-week term.
Coming to the Cartersville site and called GHC@Night, the program is geared toward busy and working adults who have obligations during the typical workday but would like to advance in their careers or start a new career. The in-person class will meet on Tuesday nights from 6PM to 8:45PM and has the same low-cost tuition rate as all other GHC programs.
The ASBA pathway was selected because it is one of our most popular among GHC’s adult learners and the institution offers a Bachelor of Business Administration in Healthcare Management and in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, providing a viable path for ASBA graduates to further their education with an additional two-year investment.
This two-year program has been targeted to help meet the workforce needs of the region, with highly qualified and engaged faculty providing an educational experience that focuses on unique skills to help graduates grow professionally.
Business is a high-opportunity field, with the median annual salary for business majors being $10,000 more than the median annual salary in the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In addition, the growth rate in the field of business is projected at 8%, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
Dean of Business and Professional Studies Melanie Largin says this versatile degree will help graduates advance in their current job or gain a new job by teaching the fundamentals of how businesses operate.
“Accounting, law, management, communication, decision making, critical thinking and data analysis are key elements of our ASBA program and apply to any venture that employs people,” Largin said.
The program leadership worked closely with the region’s chambers of commerce and workforce development organizations when developing this new ASBA night program.
“Just take a drive along I-75, and you see companies sprouting up everywhere,” Largin said. “Those companies all need logistics and supply chain, management and operational expertise. We maintain contacts with those firms and adjust our classes as needed to meet their needs.”
Division Chair for the School of Business and Professional Studies Joy Hambrick added, “Local industries have expressed support for this program, and we are all excited to watch it grow and progress. As the program grows, we hope to add more degree options to the new GHC@Night format.”
And while the class will meet in the evening, nearly all student support services are available to students after hours in-person or through the GHC Student Services Virtual Hub. For example, students can get tutoring in the evening by appointment, and the Writing Center can provide assistance via email or by appointment.
This new program option was made possible through submitting and obtaining an Adult Learner Small Grant, Propelling Data-Informed Marketing, Communication and Credit for Prior Learning. The grant assisted the college in surveying current and former adult learners, creating a new adult learner website and bolstering the credit for prior learning program.
To learn more about GHC@Night, visit night.highlands.edu.
