Do you know that your job can earn you more than a paycheck? It can be one step closer to earning a college degree. Each segment of 45 hours of work at your current job could equal one college credit toward your deferred bachelor’s degree.
WVU Potomac State College is one of several colleges in West Virginia that offers a Regents Bachelor of Arts degree. Since 1976, students have been obtaining their four-year undergraduate degree by applying work experience and prior college credits to what is known as an RBA.
The program celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. During those five decades, it has undergone significant changes. One of those changes – thanks to advanced technology – is accessibility to the program by more potential students, and the other is the job market itself.
Bonnie Lawson is a professional advisor and RBA advisor at WVU Potomac State College. Lawson said the program and its curriculum are geared toward non-traditional students who have some college experience and a history of work experience but no four-year degree.
“Primarily, it’s for students who have been out of high school at least three years and have completed some college credits,” Lawson said. “Most of the students we have work full time and are non-traditional students. Most of the students enrolled in the program do already have college credits, and some have their associate’s degree but never completed their bachelor's.”
Even though the program has been around for 50 years, PSC has seen a recent uptick in enrollment and even in general interest in the program in the last six years. The cause of this wave of renewed interest seems to be the pandemic of 2020, which ushered in more hybrid and remote work, much of which requires a bachelor’s degree to even apply.
Because of the remote and online element, Lawson said students at PSC come from “everywhere and all over the state and other states.”
The RBA program is designed specifically for adult learners who want to return to school and complete their four-year college degree. This program is accessible, responsive, and purpose-built with the nontraditional learner in mind. Students enrolled in the RBA curriculum can complete their degree online or in person, at their own pace, and earn college credits for professional, volunteer, and military experiences. This undergraduate program allows a student to package together previously earned credits, online classes, and a portfolio of real-world experience to create a unique degree. A portfolio is written with justification and documentation of your request to earn college equivalency credit.
“The one thing that is very unique about this program is being able to get college credits for work experience or for certificates earned through training on your job,” said Lawson. “An EMT or a firefighter, for instance, who has done extensive training or someone in the military, or a correctional officer, and even a cosmetologist, we can take that training and convert that into school credit toward the RBA.”
Lawson said core classes and 120 hours are still required for the RBA, like any bachelor’s degree, but often, a potential student and a qualified candidate for the program may not realize how close he or she is to getting a higher degree.
“We worked with one gentleman, and once we looked at his previous degree and factored in his work hours, he was three hours short of getting his bachelor’s degree through this program,” she said. “Pretty much any credit for work experience can be applied to this degree.”
At WVU PSC, there are primarily two courses of study in which an RBA can be obtained. Those two areas are business or criminal justice, primarily using past college credits, past degrees, and even work experience. Students can also get the RBA without a dedicated emphasis. Lawson said 45 hours of work can equal one college credit in this program, up to 18 credits. She said if a business or criminal justice degree isn’t the area a student is seeking, West Virginia University in Morgantown offers the RBA in other majors.
“But often, what we see are students who are coming back to get their four-year degree because they always wanted to get it and life got in the way or careers started and the person didn’t get to finish and wanted to,” she said. “Or someone’s job or the potential for a promotion is dependent on having a four-year degree.”
Lawson said the work experience credit, however, is dependent on the career path and the student’s employer. Work from home and sole proprietor business owners are not eligible for the work experience credit hours, she said.
“It’s a very unique program for people who have been out of school for a while but want to come back to school and get their degree,” she said. “Some people want to complete their degree because they never had a chance to do it. Some people want to come back to show their kids they can do it. Every story about why a student gets in the RBA program is different. This is a program that helps people finish a goal they started.”
The RBA is an innovative degree program designed to meet the unique needs of the adult student. Specifically, this program provides students with a comprehensive general education based on individualized skills and learning outcomes. Moreover, eligible students may acquire college credits based on their professional experiences in select subject areas and earned certifications. This option may provide a more cost-effective way of completing their education in a timely manner.
The mission of the RBA program is to provide adult learners with an opportunity to achieve their academic and career goals through a first-time bachelor’s degree. The basic principle underlying the degree is that credit is awarded for what students know regardless of how that knowledge is obtained. The program differs from other baccalaureate degrees in that Regents students — in addition to taking traditional college courses — may earn college-equivalent credit for selected work and life experiences that can be equated to college courses. Students write portfolios to obtain such credit.
“I usually don’t have to ask a student why they are interested in the RBA program,” said Lawson. “They usually tell me why they want to do it. And the RBA program is designed around the students who want to complete their degrees.”
The Regents program assumes that adults have different needs and goals than traditional undergraduates. The program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive general education. Students do have general curriculum classes required and a specific number of lower and upper credits that are needed.
“We work with all sorts of people for all sorts of reasons,” said Lawson. “In this program, we find that most people can earn their Bachelor’s in about a year and a half, even less if they take courses in the summer months.”
There is considerable flexibility in how, when, and where course requirements are met; students may earn credit through regular courses, online courses, credit by exam, standardized awards, writing portfolios to petition for eligible courses based on work experience, or a combination of each.
The Regents BA Program was created by the West Virginia State Board of Regents in 1975. It was first introduced to classrooms in 1976 and was one of the first online curriculum courses available through the WVU system.
While classes in the RBA program do begin when other classes at the College begin (August 18), the student enrolled can work at his or her own pace to complete their degree. Once Lawson is able to work with an applicant to see how many hours can be credited to work experience, and how many hours of study are still required, she can individually tailor the program as the advisor to guide each student through the process and into completion. And yes, completion of this degree also means the student can attend and participate in in-person commencement activities at the College.
The RBA program offers:
* Convenience: Many students would like to continue working and/or maintaining their family and social commitments. In the RBA program, a student is able to develop a suitable Academic Success Plan with their assigned advisor that best fits their individual schedules.
* Cost: Many students have accumulated a vast number of years of work experience in various fields. Therefore, they are eligible to petition for College Equivalent Credits (CECs). Additionally, students often have earned numerous professional certificates and/or licenses as part of their professional development, which may equate to CECs.
* Career advancement: The RBA degree provides recipients with opportunities to further their careers by pursuing a Liberal Arts or more specialized focus if they choose to incorporate our Areas of Emphasis and/or minors.
The RBA degree is perfect for:
· Working adults since it allows them to balance work, family, and other social commitments while remaining committed to pursuing a collegiate career.
· Adults who have already earned an Associate degree and/or professional certificates and licenses that equate to college credits.
· Service men and women (veterans, law enforcement, firefighters, etc.) who may have earned college credits based on their service training.
· Adults who may have started their academic careers but never completed, or are looking to begin college, in order to advance or change careers.
· Adults with plans to continue to obtain a graduate degree.
“It’s a great opportunity for people who didn’t think they could ever get their four-year degree to get that degree. It can be done. And this is the way to do it, and there is always time to do it,” Lawson said.
To contact Bonnie Lawson or for more information about the RBA program offered at WVU Potomac State College, call (304) 788-6956 or email Bonnie.Lawson@mail.wvu.edu