WC moves forward with computer science bachelor’s degree
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has given the green light for a fifth bachelor’s degree at Weatherford College.
Pending accreditation and board approval, the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Computer Science will begin in the Fall 2025 semester and be offered in a hybrid format. Dr. Linda Robinson will serve as the program director while the college searches for a director with a discipline-specific degree.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges reviews new program requests submitted by July 1 and Jan. 1 of each year for accreditation consideration. Until the new degree receives final approval, WC students have several associate degree options that seamlessly lead into this new four-year degree.
“I am exceedingly pleased that the THECB has authorized Weatherford College to offer our fifth bachelor’s degree,” said WC President Tod Allen Farmer. “Our high-quality bachelor’s degrees are attainable for about a third of the price of the most affordable university-based bachelor’s degree programs. We continue to expand access and affordability.”
Dr. Shannon Ydoyaga, executive vice president of academic services, noted that the college’s 150 existing students in this pathway currently pursuing degrees and certificates in cybersecurity, database programming, information systems, web development and networking systems were a determining factor in the administration’s decision to pursue computer science as WC’s newest bachelor’s degree.
The degree also provides an avenue into high-paying jobs.
“Based on regional data, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates a 30 to 40 percent growth rate between now and 2030 and an average wage of $50.58 per hour,” Ydoyaga said.