Students Can Now Access UAB Business Degree, Services at Jeff State

UAB-instructed business courses are now available on the Shelby County campus of Jefferson State Community College (JSCC) for students who have earned an associate’s degree and choose to enroll with University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Business for work toward a bachelor’s degree.

June 26, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB-instructed business courses are now available on the Shelby County campus of Jefferson State Community College (JSCC) for students who have earned an associate's degree and choose to enroll with University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Business for work toward a bachelor's degree. The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) approved the initiative to offer UAB courses at JSCC-Shelby at its June 26 meeting.

"This is a great opportunity to provide easy and instant access to a high quality bachelor's degree program to students who would not otherwise have considered extending their business education beyond their community college associate's degree," said David Klock, Ph.D., dean of the UAB School of Business.

Beginning this fall, individuals with an associate's degree and at least a 2.0 G.P.A. will be eligible to take UAB classes at JSCC-Shelby. Through a combination of face-to-face instruction and distance learning, students can complete UAB course work toward a bachelor's degree in business management from the convenience of Shelby County, Klock said.

The UAB School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which ensures that enrolled students will be accessing world-class courses that have been internationally recognized for excellence in business education, said Lauren Johnson, the undergraduate recruitment coordinator at the UAB School of Business.

"Now JSCC students have on-campus access to UAB's accredited business management bachelor's degree program, and a bachelor's degree from an accredited business program will be much more valuable than the alternatives when it comes to interviewing with potential employers or graduate school programs," Johnson said.

"Additionally, associate's degree holders who take advantage of the new UAB partnership and enroll with us will have access to every resource available to traditional UAB students," she said.

Johnson said those resources include UAB Career Services, which she said is uniquely positioned to connect students with internships at Birmingham's most reputable companies. Access to UAB student advising services on the JSCC campus, discounts on admission to UAB athletic events and membership in the university's state-of-the-art recreation center are among the other services available to JSCC alumni who enroll and become a part of the School of Business.

"Jefferson State Community College is very excited to build on its distinctive learning opportunities through its new partnership with the UAB School of Business," said Anita Norton, dean of instruction at JSCC. "Now our students will have a powerful incentive to complete their JSCC associate's degree before moving seamlessly into the UAB bachelor's degree program on our Shelby County campus."

This fall's initial UAB degree offering at JSCC-Shelby is expected to be extended to some of the college's other central Alabama locations in future academic years.

About UAB

The UAB School of Business is located in the heart of Alabama's largest city and business center. For more information on how the school's Birmingham location provides unique internship and other out-of-the-classroom experiences, log on to www.uab.edu/business/.