2012-2013 Catalog & Handbook 
    
    Mar 18, 2024  
2012-2013 Catalog & Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Career Programs



Career Programs—Associate of Applied Science Degree

Pellissippi State offers several programs that prepare students for business and technical careers. These programs are designed for the student whose primary educational goal is entry-level employment or career advancement. The placement rate for graduates of Career Programs is consistently above 90 percent. The College’s Career Programs are continually revised to reflect the changes in the skills and knowledge graduates need to be successful in responsible positions in business and industry. These degree programs are not designed for transfer to baccalaureate institutions. However, the general education courses typically transfer to most four-year colleges and universities, and several of the programs are fully transferable.

The degree earned is the Associate of Applied Science. All Associate of Applied Science degree programs offered at Pellissippi State require a minimum of 60 semester hours.

Career Programs Guarantee

Job Competency Guarantee Program. The faculty of Pellissippi State guarantee that any graduate with an Associate of Applied Science degree judged by his/her employer as lacking in the technical job skills expected of an entry-level employee will be provided additional courses (up to 15 semester hours) by Pellissippi State at no charge.

Degree. The graduate must have earned an A.A.S. degree in June 1988 or thereafter in the area of concentration designated on the student transcript. The student must have earned at least a C in all major courses of study.

Employment. The employment must be full time, and the job must be certified by the Placement Office as directly related to the graduate’s program of study. Initial date of employment of the graduate must be within one year of completion of program requirements.

The employer must provide Pellissippi State written notification that the employee is lacking the entry-level knowledge and skills identified at the time of initial employment and must specify the area(s) of deficiency within 90 days of the graduate’s initial employment.

Affective behaviors, such as attitude, judgment and interpersonal relations, will be considered job competencies for purposes of the guarantee, provided that formal instruction in appropriate affective behaviors is included within the specialty area.

Retraining guarantee. Skill retraining will be limited to 15 semester credit hours and to enrollment in credit courses regularly offered by Pellissippi State. The skill retraining must be completed in one academic year.

The employer, the graduate and a college counselor, with the advice of appropriate teaching faculty, will develop an educational plan that specifies the course(s) constituting the 15 credit hours of retraining. The graduate must meet all prerequisites, corequisites and other admission requirements for retraining courses. Failure, withdrawal or audit of a retraining course(s) is creditable to the 15 credit hour limit.

Pellissippi State will waive tuition and fees. The graduate or the employer will bear the costs of books and supplies, as well as other related costs.

Regents Online Degree Programs

See the Transfer/University Parallel Programs section of this Catalog for information about Regents Online Degree Programs.

Career Programs Options

Information is provided in this section for each of the following Career Programs majors and concentrations (see below).

Career Programs Core Curriculum*

Courses Credit Hours
English Composition I 3
Humanities/Fine Arts 3
Mathematics/Natural Sciences 3-5
Social/Behavioral Sciences 3
General Education Elective 3-5
Total Core 15+
Major 45+
TOTAL 60+

* Courses designated to fulfill general education requirements at Pellissippi State Community College are published in the General Education  section of this Catalog.

Cooperative Education

The Cooperative Education program (Co-op) enhances Career Programs by offering students the opportunity to integrate classroom theory with practical work experience. Paid work experiences are arranged in career-related areas to benefit both the student and the employer. This hands-on work experience enables the student to attain increased self-confidence, increased marketability upon graduation, and academic credit and income while in school. For the employer, the program provides highly motivated students for entry-level positions and a source for potential employees.

Eligibility. To qualify for the Cooperative Education program, the student must be enrolled in a career program at Pellissippi State, must be in good standing academically, and must have completed 15 or more credit hours of college-level courses in the major. A student who is appropriately placed on the job in her/his career major upon entering Pellissippi State may be eligible for immediate enrollment in the Co-op program.

Credit. Academic credits are awarded for the cooperative work experience on a variable scale based upon the number of hours on the job. To earn one academic credit, the student must work 45 hours on the job. Tuition will be calculated according to the projected credit hours to be earned in co-op work experience during the semester. Once placed in a position by the Co-op Office, the student is required to register for Cooperative Education course credit each semester worked. Since co-op courses will be add-on credit, a student may earn credits as long as she/he is eligible to remain in the program.

Grades. The grading for the cooperative education work experience will be PASS/NO PASS. A grade designation is given where cooperative work experience is used for course substitution.

Cooperative Education Courses

Course No. Course Title Hours of Work Credit Hours
COP 1911
Cooperative Education 45 1
COP 1912 Cooperative Education 90 2
COP 1913 Cooperative Education 135 3
COP 1914 Cooperative Education 180 4
COP 1915 Cooperative Education 225 5
COP 1916 Cooperative Education 270 6
COP 1921 Cooperative Education 45 1
COP 1922 Cooperative Education 90 2
COP 1923 Cooperative Education 135 3
COP 1924 Cooperative Education 180 4
COP 1925 Cooperative Education 225 5
COP 1926 Cooperative Education 270 6
COP 1931 Cooperative Education 45 1
COP 1932 Cooperative Education 90 2
COP 1933 Cooperative Education 135 3
COP 1934 Cooperative Education 180 4
COP 1935 Cooperative Education 225 5
COP 1936 Cooperative Education 270 6
COP 1941 Cooperative Education 45 1
COP 1942 Cooperative Education 90 2
COP 1943 Cooperative Education 135 3
COP 1944 Cooperative Education 180 4
COP 1945 Cooperative Education 225 5
COP 1946 Cooperative Education 270 6
COP 1951 Cooperative Education 45 1
COP 1952 Cooperative Education 90 2
COP 1953 Cooperative Education 135 3
COP 1954 Cooperative Education 180 4
COP 1955 Cooperative Education 225 5
COP 1956 Cooperative Education 270 6
COP 1961 Cooperative Education 45 1
COP 1962 Cooperative Education 90 2
COP 1963 Cooperative Education 135 3
COP 1964 Cooperative Education 180 4
COP 1965 Cooperative Education 225 5
COP 1966 Cooperative Education 270 6
COP 1971 Cooperative Education 45 1
COP 1972 Cooperative Education 90 2
COP 1973 Cooperative Education 135 3
COP 1974 Cooperative Education 180 4
COP 1975 Cooperative Education 225 5
COP 1976 Cooperative Education 270 6

Programs