College officials chose each of the new programs based on extensive surveys of local and regional employers and agencies like the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Workforce Development Board. The BS in Nursing program will focus on critical care, as requested by various stakeholders including CEOs and chief nursing executives from area hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare providers.
In 2004 and 2006, FCCJ officials conducted assessments of local employers' need for qualified IT workers. The conclusion: a huge supply-and-demand gap when it comes to baccalaureate-prepared IT networking pros. Thus the idea to offer the BAS in Computer Networking. Recruiters will focus on women, minorities and the disabled, as this field offers these groups greater opportunities than many other high-paying career fields.
Similar analyses and surveys of local business and government leaders and university presidents prompted the BAS in Supervision and Management program.
Each of the three new programs calls for 120 credit hours including upper-division professional courses. The come on the heels of FCCJ's first four-year degree offering, a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Fire Science Management.