"The BAS is a great way for someone who is in a

technical program to earn a bachelor's degree without having to play

catch-up, without stopping their technical track and going back to get

an associate's degree," she said. "You really can't get a good paying

job without a bachelor's degree."

The Oct. 3 Career Forum will specifically give

non-traditional students (those individuals who graduated from high more

than five years ago) a chance to improve their career options.

The forum will run from 9 a.m. to noon in the Harry S. Downs

Center for Continuing Education on the CCSU main campus in

Morrow and will concentrate on the university's four Bachelor of

Applied Science (BAS) majors and the Integrative Studies (IS)

program.

The BAS degree is only offered by four Georgia

institutions and is unique in the southeastern United States. The BAS

enables graduates of technical institutes and colleges in selected fields

to apply credits toward a bachelor's degree in Technology

Management, Administrative Management, Allied Health

Administration, and Dental Hygiene Practice and Administration.

Students pursuing the Integrative Studies degree majors

work closely with a faculty advisor to create an individualized

program of career-oriented study that can draw on courses offered by any

of the 19 colleges and universities of the Atlanta Regional

Consortium for Higher Education, including Emory, Georgia Tech,

University of Georgia, Atlanta College of Art, Spelman College, and

Clark Atlanta University.

"The BAS degree is especially relevant to working students,"

said Dr. Jane Thompson, vice president and dean of Student and

Enrollment Services at Clayton State. "Both the BAS and the IS

programs provide students with flexible, specific and

experiential learning opportunities that not only provide them with

current knowledge, but also contain a significant professional

development component."

"I want to go into a management position," said

Head. "Through the BAS and Henry County Commissioners letting

me do an internship here, I have some real life experience. I was able

to get some hands-on experience as well as classroom learning."

"CCSU's unique IS program allowed me to design an

interdisciplinary program that met my career and academic goals,"

said Melanie Hill, an Integrative Studies major from Fayetteville,

who has worked in U.S. Rep. Mac Collins' Jonesboro office.

"Because all CCSU students are provided with notebook computers,

I was able to take advantage of the university's distance learning

opportunities.

My demanding work schedule made this aspect of the IS

program particularly appealing."

The Oct. 3 Career Forum will begin with a welcome by Dr.

Richard A. Skinner, president of CCSU. Skinner's presentation

will be followed by a program overview by Thompson, a career

assessment activity presented by the University's Office of Career

Services, and a panel discussion featuring a group of current

CCSU students. The latter discussion will focus on the challenges of

students attending college after a long absence from the educational

system, and will feature several non-traditional CCSU students.

Following the non-traditional student panel, Dr. Elliott

McElroy, CCSU vice president for Academic Affairs, will give a

brief overview of the university's academic programs. Forum

attendees will then split up with the opportunity to learn more

about the featured academic programs, the university's admissions

procedures, financial aid and career options.

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