The Associate in Science (AS) is a two-year degree for students who ultimately wish to complete a baccalaureate degree. Emphasis is placed on courses such as biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, mathematics, or physics.
Chelsea Searle puts on her scrubs and gets her 3-year-old son out of bed and dressed all before 5 a.m.
Mohamed Karoui had been awake for 48 hours. After a full day of travel and an 18-hour robotics competition, Karoui found himself asleep on the floor of the Lesley University library in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The good news – his team won.
There are two pathways for students to transfer to a baccalaureate science degree in Information Technology at a four-year college or university.
Students who want to follow a structured academic curriculum but have no intention of pursuing a baccalaureate degree may be best suited for the Associate in General Education (AGE) degree. This program is ideal for students who want to gain an associate degree for personal or professional goals, but do not intend to transfer to a four-year institution.
College classes may invoke thoughts of desks and textbooks, but the customized training department at Durham Tech works largely within companies in the Research Triangle.
Through the years, Durham Tech has developed customized courses for some of the largest corporate names in North Carolina including AW North Carolina, Burt’s Bees, Dynamit Nobel Silicon, General Electric Semiconductor, GE Aviation, Medicago, IBM, Mitsubishi Semiconductor America Inc, and Orange County firms such as Morinaga America Foods, WestRock, and AKG of America, among others.
Joshua Colindres, a Durham native and Durham Tech’s Student Government Association (SGA) 2024-2025 president, puts thought behind each word he speaks and action behind those words.
Colindres wanted to be engaged with Durham Tech’s campus, which led to his interest in SGA.
“It was an easy decision to get involved in the Durham Tech community,” Colindres said. “The culture on the campus promotes involvement and a genuine family feel. I wanted in.”
When the City of Durham experienced a nursing shortage in the 1960’s, Durham Tech responded in short order with a thriving practical nursing program that continues today.
It’s believed to be the College’s first community partnership program created to meet a vital need for the community. In recent years, the College has partnered with major employers in the Triangle to provide diverse talent and specialized programs.
In 2020, Durham Tech developed an Electrical Line Technician program to meet the need for line workers, as identified by Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas.
Both organizations helped fund the program. James Brandon Kidd, a 2022 graduate of the program, said his experience was extremely positive and he was excited to learn something new every day. Kidd secured a job with Duke Energy before he completed the program.
"I found a career that I am extremely excited about. I feel like I have a knack for it and I think this class helped to bring out those qualities and show me what the possibilities are throughout this journey,” Kidd said.
The Associate in Arts (AA) is a two-year degree for students who ultimately wish to complete a baccalaureate degree. The emphasis is on courses such as business, English, fine arts, foreign languages, history, philosophy, psychology, or sociology.
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