Degrees & Certificates

Some Thoughts

AA AS & Cert. TRANSFER Move on to an

upper level institution /

4 year university

WORK Enter the Workforce when YOU Graduate !

Bachelors Degrees @ SFC

BAS: Clinical Laboratory Science

Prepares students to enter the workforce as Clinical Laboratory Technologists or Medical Technologists

Bachelors Degrees @ SFC

BAS: Health Services Administration

Applicants to this BAS program should have an associate degree in a health-related discipline.

Health care is a business and, like every business, it needs good management to keep it running smoothly.

Associate of Arts 36 General Education

Classes (Academic) 24 Electives (Degree

Specific)60 60 TotalTotal

Associate of Science

15 General Education Classes (Academic)

45 Professional Core Classes

6060TotalTotal

AA - AS 36 Gen. Ed.

Academic

24 Electives Degree Related

60 TOTAL

15 Gen. Ed. Academic

45 Pro.Core Career Related

60 TOTAL

Certificates Credit Credit Hour

Classes Classes Apply to

AS Degree Only Job

Specific Classes

P.S.A.V. Postsecondary

Adult Vocational Contact Hour

Classes Only Job Specific

Classes No GED or Diploma

needed

Think About It!

How Long do you want to go to School ?

Are you ready for the academic challenge?

Do you have the Resources to pay for school?

What is the Forecast for the Career you want to enter?

Do you really understand the Career you are interested in?

How Long do you want to go to School?

We live in a society, and especially our community, where a degree has always been stressed as the way to succeed. Education is important and forecasters predict that 80-85 percent of future jobs will require some post-secondary training, but that does not necessarily mean a bachelors degree.

Workforce Trends

Unskilled Labor 60% 15% Skilled/Technical 20% 65% Professional 20% 20%

1950 NOW Workers have less supervision, so

more independence is required; businesses have more

automation, so more technical skills are required.

A recent National Association of Manufacturers study found that 69 percent of businesses cited "inadequate basic employability skills" such as attendance, timeliness and work ethic as the most common reason for rejecting job applicants

•Job skills can also be called transferable skills. They are best acquired through

experience.

•Management and leadership job skills are some of the most transferable. Leadership can mean

training other employees, leading teams, and providing motivation. It can also mean you have taken initiative to start

new programs or improve your work environment. Being able to work independently is an excellent job skill to possess. If you do have managerial or supervisory experience, these transfer very well to other types of work

Are you ready for the academic challenge?

Are you taking classes that prepare you for the academic challenge of getting into the career you wish to pursue? It’s easy to say you are going to be this or that, but is your commitment strong enough?

Not everyone has to take the academic route through post-secondary education.

Your Major

The AA has 24 elective credits. Use these wisely! Every AA degree has certain pre-professional (prerequisite) courses that need to be taken before transfer.

Check your degree audit at eSantafe

Meet with a university advisor If you haven’t declared a major, now

is the time.

Do you have the resources to pay for school?

Education can be pretty expensive, which is fine, because it’s worth it. Have you ever thought about getting some short term training, get a job, save some money and then go back to school? Maybe your employer sees you as a valuable employee and may pay for your school.

Have you asked your employer about assistance?

What is the Forecast for the Career you want to do?

Make sure you check the projection for the career you are interested in. Every career is not projected to grow and you want to be sure your investment in education will pay off. There are many people who get trained in a particular career only to find out that jobs are not available when they graduate.

Fact: 1 out of 5 people that see a SFC advisor about an AS degree already has a bachelors degree.

Do you really understand the Career you are interested in?

Often students do not really understand what it takes to be successful at the career they choose. It is real easy to think you want to do something but do some research.

“Postsecondary success hinges on two factors: Academic skills and commitment that comes from career direction” - Kenneth Gray, Penn State University

Do You Know What It Takes at This Level?

Many programs of study have “weed-out” measures in place

GPA Requirements Full-time / Part-time Be prepared for the

challenge, and your dreams can become reality

Wages

Initial Earnings for 2006-7 Graduates/Completers with Full Time Employment in 2007. This is a state average.

H.S. Grads $19,488.00 C.C. Certificate $40,100.00 C.C. AS Degree $43,232.00 C.C. AA Degree $30,784.00 Bachelors Degree $37,572.00 Masters Degree $56,744.00 These salaries may be viewed on the internet at:

http://www.flboe.org/fetpip/initqtrearn.asp

Do a Little Research Here are some useful websites:

• National Occupational Employment Statisticshttp://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.toc.htm

• Florida’s Labor Market:Salarieshttp://www.labormarketinfo.com/library/oes.htm

• Growing or Shrinkinghttp://www.labormarketinfo.com/library/ces.htm

• Careers at SFC: http://www.sfcollege.edu/cft/

DEAD END?

AS Degrees and Certificates are not dead-end. Attending school after graduation is not impossible.

Continuing your education will provide avenues for advancement in most careers.

Technological advancement will require that you continue to enhance your skills to remain competitive in the job market.

What Should YOU Do? Explore as many options as possible Make sure you look at all alternatives Prepare by taking challenging classes Research occupations Shadow someone in a field of interest Volunteer Visit the Career Resource center Explore Your Personality

Food For Thought A little time now can enhance your

happiness and success. Think about this: If you work 200 days a year for 30 years that totals 6,000 days. You want to be happy and look forward to getting up and going to work. A happy employee is a productive and successful employee!

A little time and planning now will pay off for many years.

Japanese Proverb: Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare

Bottom Line Success is enhanced by education, but it is

not a guarantee. YOU can be very successful with a minimum

amount of education if you are sharp and work hard.

A little research and preparation now can lead to a lifetime of career success and happiness.

Everyone is not academically oriented and the AS’s and Certificates provide great options.

YOU CONTROL YOUR OWN DESTINY!!

More Info?

If you would like more information about options SFC has to offer:

Contact: Tom Mason Phone: (352) 395-5361 eMail: tom.mason@sfcollege.edu Come By: Charles R. Perry Construction Institute

Building O Room 127