WEST PLAINS, Mo. – A recently approved agreement between Missouri State University-West Plains and the University of Central Missouri (UCM) in Warrensburg will give students in the Computer Graphics and Programming (CGP) Department the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree in that discipline without leaving West Plains.

Members of the Missouri State University Board of Governors approved a “memorandum of understanding” with UCM at their regular monthly meeting in August that gives students seeking the Associate of Applied Science in Computer Graphics and Programming degree, emphasizing either web development or game development, seamless transfer into UCM’s Bachelor of Science in Technology-Virtual Media option program.

Under the agreement, students will complete 90 hours of the degree through Missouri State-West Plains and the remaining 30 hours online through UCM.  The 90 hours include classes that fulfill general education core requirements, CGP core requirements, and either the game development option requirements or the web development option requirements.  The 30 UCM hours include that university’s online technology core classes and online virtual media option classes.

Jeff Huff, assistant professor of computer graphics and CGP Department head at Missouri State-West Plains, said he had been seeking a transfer path for his students to earn bachelor’s degrees for some time and began working with Dr. Jeff Ulmer, associate professor in UCM’s School of Technology, who crafted a virtual media option specifically for graduates of Missouri State-West Plains’ AAS degree.

“Students earning the BS in Technology with Virtual Media option would be able to seek jobs in a wide variety of virtual media fields, from website design to game development,” Huff said.  “A Bureau of Labor Statistics website regarding occupational employment and job openings data to 2018 indicates a predicted 12 percent growth rate in fields that students would most likely enter with this degree.”

Students can begin pursuing the degree immediately, Huff said, adding two recent AAS graduates will have completed the course requirements needed to earn the bachelor’s degree by the end of the 2013 spring semester.  “Bonnie Halcomb and Catherine Jameson, both of Mtn. View, were able to complete courses common to the requirements for all options, thus getting a head start on completion of the degree,” he said.

For more information about Missouri State-West Plains’ AAS-CGP degree and the bachelor’s degree option available locally through UCM, contact Huff at 417-255-7298 or at JeffHuff@MissouriState.edu, or visit http://wp.missouristate.edu/Academics/CGP.htm.