On May 8, Tulsa Community College announced its partnership with College Park to create four-year engineering degrees in partnership with Oklahoma State University-Tulsa’s Helmerich Advanced Technology Research Center. When students are accepted into the Engineering Academic Pathway, they are eligible for at least a $1,000 textbook and supply voucher and/or tuition scholarship as SPARK (Students Pursuing Aeronautics Related Knowledge) Scholars.
The program has been expanded as a result of a Build Back Better Regional Challenge Grant and is part of a bigger push to create a mobilized workforce in Tulsa. The plan is also to develop a high tech employment base for future job development in the area.
College Park was launched in fall 2021 with a business administration degree, the first academic area of study. A psychology curriculum and degree followed for fall 2022, and now an engineering major is being added for the fall 2023 academic year.
College Park also serves a unique function of allowing students to be in cohorts. Nicole Burgin, media relations manager at TCC, said, “Students currently in the programs say they really enjoy the experience of knowing their fellow classmates and developing a peer support group.”
As a press release from the college states, “The College Park expansion is tied to the creation of the Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility Corridor and funded through a U.S. Economic Development Administration Build Back Better Regional Challenge Grant.” Additionally, the grant will help to develop a Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility Corridor with the goal of “increasing the region’s skilled workforce…”
According to Burgin, “Students earn an associate degree from TCC and a bachelor’s degree from OSU…The benefit of College Park is that a student can take advantage of TCC’s affordable tuition and fees for the first two years.”
Overall, she also said, “College Park offers a unique student experience where an individual takes classes all four years on the same campus, OSU-Tulsa in downtown Tulsa. It combines the resources and benefits of two public higher education institutions, TCC and OSU, for those who want to earn a college degree while working or living in Tulsa. Participants range from those immediately out of high school to working adults.”
Applications for all three for fall 2023 are open. The priority deadline is June 30. Visit collegeparktulsa.com for more information.
