EFSC Fall Term Begins with New Bachelor Degrees

The fall term at Eastern Florida State College starts next week with hundreds of students enrolled in seven new Bachelor Degree tracks in fast-growing career fields.

The four-year degrees in Business, Healthcare and Computer Information Technologies join a pair of other Bachelor tracks successfully launched last year, with the college now offering a total of nine baccalaureate programs.

In all, about 15,000 students are expected to study on the college’s Titusville, Cocoa, Melbourne and Palm Bay campuses, and online, during the term that begins Aug. 18.

Some 625 students are enrolled in the Bachelor programs, a strong sign of their popularity.

“The demand for our Bachelor Degrees is high, reflecting the need we’re meeting in offering them to residents in our community,” said college President Dr. Jim Richey.

“They’re all designed to provide students with an education in fields where job growth is rising and where businesses are looking to hire employees with the right skills.

“That’s a winning combination with more students seeing Eastern Florida as an excellent place to get an education to start or advance their careers,” he said.

The nine Bachelor Degree tracks are:

• General Business Management
• Health Care Management
• Public Safety Management
• Sales and Marketing Management
• Advanced Health Sciences
• Biomedical Sciences
• Computer Information Technology Software Development
• Computer Information Technology Project Management
• Computer Information Technology Networking Services

Among the newly enrolled Bachelor students is Amanda Attales, 23, of Cocoa, who graduated from Brevard Community College with an Associate in Arts degree in 2011, before BCC changed its name to Eastern Florida State College last summer.

Attales started taking additional classes at UCF but enrolled in the Bachelor track in Biomedical Sciences because it was more affordable, closer to home and will give her a range of career options.

“It’s really nice when I go into a faculty office they know my name. I’m not treated like a number,” said Attales. “I also love the fact that I will be able to do a lot of different things with the degree.”

Ericka Ross-Murray, 43, of Palm Bay, will be among Eastern Florida’s first Bachelor’s graduates in December when she completes work begun last year on a four-year degree in Health Care Management.

“It’s definitely going to be a plus to help with my career,” said Murray, a 2012 A.A. degree graduate from BCC who works in a surgical center and wants to be a patient care administrator.

“It’s really great the college is offering these degrees. I can afford the tuition, its close and it has been an easy transition going right to Eastern Florida.”

Another returning Bachelor’s student is Trey Gass, 29, of Titusville, who earned an A.A. degree from BCC in 2008 and is pursuing a degree in General Business Management.

“I’m really impressed with the quality of the faculty and individual attention I get from the teachers,” said Gass, who plans to graduate in December and go into project management.

Eastern Florida also offers more than 100 Associate Degrees, Certificate Programs and tailored corporate services training.

To help with the transition into Fall term, EFSC's student services offices are staying open extended hours and Fridays through August 22. Admissions offices on the Cocoa, Melbourne & Palm Bay campuses are open Mon. through Thurs., 7:30 AM to 7 PM and Fridays, Aug. 15 & 22, 7:30 AM to 5 PM. Hours on the Titusville campus areMon. - Thurs., 8 AM to 7 PM and from 8 AM to 5 PM on Fridays, Aug. 15 & 22.

For more information, visit easternflorida.edu