School News
UNT to offer degree options at new Collin Higher Education Center
By UNT News Service
Nov 9, 2009

DENTON (UNT), Texas – In an effort to reach more degree-seeking North Texans the University of North Texas is partnering with Collin College to offer five degrees at the new Collin Higher Education Center in McKinney.

UNT President Gretchen M. Bataille will participate in a signing ceremony that will formalize the creation of the center at 4 p.m. on Nov. 9 (Monday). The ceremony will be held at Collin College’s Central Park Campus Library, which is located at 2200 W. University Drive in McKinney.

“UNT has a longstanding relationship with Collin College and we are excited to partner with them to offer the residents of Collin County and surrounding areas greater access to valuable degree programs,” said Bataille.

The CHEC is slated to open in the spring and will offer degree programs from UNT, Dallas Baptist University, Texas A&M University – Commerce, Texas Woman’s University, and The University of Texas at Dallas. The center will be housed in Collin College’s new administration building, which is being built at the intersection of State Highway 121 and 75 Central Expressway in McKinney.

Collin College worked with the five partner institutions to develop degree offerings that did not overlap and best met the needs of Collin County residents. UNT initially plans on offering one bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees at the CHEC.

The degree programs are:

·         Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences

o   Two professional development concentrations: Alternative Dispute Resolution and Non-Profit Management and Volunteer and Community Resource Management

·         M.S. in Engineering Systems

o   Two concentrations: Construction Management and Engineering Management

·         Ed.D. Educational Administration

o   Includes superintendent certification

·         M.Ed. in Higher Education

o   Some courses offered may also count toward a doctoral degree in higher education administration from UNT.

“The programs that we are offering have significant workforce need in the North Texas area,” said Troy Johnson, vice provost at UNT.

“Experts predict that the field of construction management will have an employment increase of 16 percent by 2016, and U.S. News and World Report listed higher education administration as one of 20 careers that offer strong outlooks and high job satisfaction in its 2009 list of Best Careers.”

UNT and Collin College have an existing agreement that allows students to easily transfer into a four-year degree program at UNT, and UNT is the second highest transfer destination for Collin College students. The CHEC will facilitate the completion of bachelor’s and graduate degrees for Collin County’s more than 760,000 residents.

For more information on UNT’s offerings at the CHEC or how to enroll contact Myra Hafer, associate director of admissions, at myra.hafer@unt.edu.