The institution offers degree programs that embody a coherent course of study that is compatible with its stated mission and is based upon fields of study appropriate to higher education.

 X Compliance                        __Partial Compliance             __Non-Compliance

Narrative

St. Petersburg College is in compliance with this requirement because its degree programs are coherent courses of study compatible with the College mission and based on disciplines that are appropriate to higher education.

Linkage between College Mission and Goals and Existing Programs

St. Petersburg College has an institutional mission that is in compliance with the Statutory Mission of Florida’s community and upper division colleges as stated in Florida Statute. Its degree offerings are clearly delineated and their purpose defined in the College’s Mission.  The curriculum supports academic programs approved by the State Board of Education.

The College awards Bachelor’s of Science (B.S.), Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.), Bachelor’s of Applied Science (B.A.S.), Associate of Arts  (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees, Applied Technology Diplomas and College Credit Certificates.  The College’s District Board of Trustees sets policy regarding the Requirements for Graduation and Issuance of Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates. The array of programs, as published in the College Catalog directly supports the College’s mission and goals.

The College offers a comprehensive series of programs designed to fulfill the career education needs of community citizens and employers.  Academic goals of the College are directly addressed by the various programs offered at SPC, summarized in the following table and detailed below:

Baccalaureate programs.  One goal of the College is to “prepare students for work in selected professional fields through Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Applied Science degree programs and in partnership with other colleges/universities through St. Petersburg College's University Partnership Center.”

Bachelors of Science programs prepare students for entrance into critical shortage areas in education and nursing.  SPC is responding to the statewide need for K-12 teachers and currently offers majors in Elementary Education with infused ESOL, Exceptional Child Education with infused ESOL , Secondary Education in Mathematics, Secondary Education in Science with an emphasis in Biology, Business Education, Technology Education and Industrial Arts Education.  The RN to BSN degree provides qualified nurse managers and other health care providers in critical shortage areas within the nursing field.  In addition, the BSN is a stepping stone to the Master’s in Nursing (MSN) to prepare Nurse Educators, the most crucial link to increasing the nursing workforce.  The Bachelors of Applied Science degrees offered at SPC include Technology Management, Dental Hygiene, Veterinary Technology, Orthotics and Prosthetics, International Business, Paralegal and Public Safety; these prepare practitioners for critical roles in those arenas.

The College does not offer baccalaureate degrees other than those directly supporting a need in the community; but a unique arrangement has been authorized by the Florida State Legislature to increase access to additional baccalaureate degrees and graduate degrees in Pinellas County using St. Petersburg College facilities and equipment.  The University Partnership Center (UPC) is an alliance of colleges and universities whose mission is to provide bachelor’s and graduate degrees to more than 1-million people in the Pinellas county area.  Students attend classes at the University Partnership Center on various SPC campuses, but are students of the providing institution and all credit is granted and degrees conferred by the visiting institution consistent with their regional accrediting requirements.

Associate in Arts degrees.  Another goal of the College is to “prepare lower-division students for transfer into baccalaureate programs through the Associate in Arts program and articulated Associate in Science degree programs.”  Associate in Arts degree programs prepare students for further education at the upper division level.  The university transfer degree (A.A.) is closely articulated with both SPC’s upper division programs and the State University System (SUS) institutions.  A.A. graduates are guaranteed admission into one of Florida’s public four-year universities.

Workforce Programs.  It also is the goal of the College to “prepare lower-division students for careers requiring post-secondary education through Associate in Science, Associate in Applied Science, selected Technical Certificate and Applied Technology programs.”

Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degree programs prepare students for employment in high-demand, high-paying career fields.  The A.S. and A.A.S. programs include general education credit hours, with the majority of the program emphasizing technical knowledge and skills needed for career success.  The technical portions of the A.S./A.A.S. curricula are developed by faculty, with technical expertise in the respective field, using occupational analysis strategies.  Professional courses are also related to statewide and local job analyses and are reviewed by program advisory committees composed of local employer representatives.

College credit and certificate programs (technical certificates) prepare students for specific occupations and offer an intermediate completion point for students who can then progress to a degree program.  Curricula for certificate programs are developed and reviewed in the same manner as the technical portion of A.S./A.A.S. degree programs.

The Florida Department of Education provides comprehensive guidelines and policies regarding Career and Technical Curriculum Frameworks and Student Performance Standards.

Underprepared students.  SPC is an open admissions College with the important goal to “provide opportunities for under-prepared students to achieve college entry-level skills in reading, writing and mathematics through the college preparatory programs.”

The College requires testing to quantitatively demonstrate students' preparation and likelihood for success in college-level courses.  New students in credit courses are required to take the St. Petersburg College Placement Test (CPT), SAT, ACT or other approved placement instrument prior to the student's first registration.  Test results are used to aid in advisement and course placement.  Degree-seeking students who score below the CPT cut-off scores prescribed by Florida Board of Education Rule 6A-10.0315 and College Procedure P6Hx23-4.45 are required to take preparatory courses in the area(s) of deficiency identified through testing.  Those students are not allowed to enroll in other credit courses within the area(s) of deficiency until they have demonstrated basic skill mastery.

To prepare students for college-level courses SPC offers three developmental reading courses, two developmental writing courses, and two developmental math courses with math labs.  The courses are offered in traditional classroom and online formats.  Students may make three attempts in each required course in each skill area.  A fourth attempt may be granted through an academic appeals process based on major extenuating circumstances.

The College has developed a series of Student Life Skills (SLS) courses for all students that address skills often needed by underprepared students, including college success skills, study skills, and career planning.  In addition, SPC’s U.S. Department of Education Title III grant is piloting two additional courses, SLS 1000, First Year Experience Orientation, and SLS 1990, First Year Experience that SPC expects to institutionalize Collegewide within the next year.  The purpose of these courses is to promote academic success and persistence, effective educational planning, and student engagement in college life.  The College also has extensive student academic support services that are targeted at underprepared students, which are detailed in Section 2.10 and 3.4.9.

Honors College.  Another goal of the College is to “provide … opportunities for exceptionally dedicated students to maximize the development of their academic abilities and talents through honors courses and service projects.”  The Honors College at SPC was established in November 2003 offering honors programs, honors courses, interdisciplinary honors courses, seminars, colloquia, independent study, undergraduate research opportunities, and international study abroad programs.  The mission of The Honors College is to provide an exemplary education that encourages creativity, deeper understanding, leadership qualities, and critical thinking skills.  Students do not have to be accepted into the Honors College to enroll in honors courses, but they must meet course criteria or have Program Director approval.  One example of the course curriculum is the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, a structured and integrated Honors curriculum that fulfills 27 hours of the College's general education requirements.  These requirements include interdisciplinary courses in Ancient, Medieval/Renaissance, and Modern eras covering language arts, humanities, and social sciences.  The curriculum is intended to provide students with a general understanding of content while encouraging intellectual curiosity.

Acceleration.  Another goal of the College is to promote challenging educational opportunities for area high school students through dual enrollment, charter school programs and similar programs.

Pinellas County students (in public, private and home schools) can take SPC courses that simultaneously give them credits toward a high school diploma and a college degree. These credits can be used toward a degree from SPC and/or can be transferred from SPC to other colleges and universities.  Dual Credit and Charter School courses are free of charge.  Students take classes at:

1. Their high school campus

2. On an SPC campus with SPC students

3. Online

The St. Petersburg Collegiate High School offers a three-year curriculum that allows students the opportunity to simultaneously complete the requirements for a high school diploma and varying credits of college coursework toward an associate’s degree.  St Petersburg Collegiate High School offers two program options:  the College Preparatory Program which emphasizes instruction to prepare students to succeed in college-level courses and the Collegiate Program that combines high school and college courses of study in a configuration leading to an associate’s degree as well as completion of a high school diploma.  In the first year of it existence, the Collegiate High School earned Florida Comprehensive Academic Test schools to make it an A school and in its second year it was ranked the fifth-best high school in Florida.

International education.  St. Petersburg College is in a unique position to accomplish another of its goals to contribute to the international education of students through a variety of courses, foreign study tours, faculty and student exchanges, linkages with international institutions, distance learning and other special programs.  Some international activities include:  International Business practica, faculty and student exchanges and internships with St. Petersburg [Russia] State University and Tallinn Technological University in Estonia, an English as a Second Language (ESL) program and international centers at the three largest campuses that offer information, guidance and support to international students during the transition period from their countries to the United States.  The President of the College is an honorary consul honored by Russia for SPC’s and his close personal ties to St. Petersburg, Florida’s sister city of St. Petersburg, Russia.

A new Bachelor of Applied Science degree in International Business was introduced in the Fall of 2005 at St. Petersburg College.  This unique program is intended for students who are interested in leading, supervising and managing multinational businesses and operations. Students receive training in multi-cultural business implications, thereby increasing their value and competitiveness in the international marketplace.  Some of the courses in the curriculum include:

• International business, finance, operations and marketing
• Legal issues of international business
• Cultural diversity
• Intermediate Foreign languages and study abroad
• Seminars and Capstone projects

The curriculum is intended to prepare students for a variety of industries such as banking, consulting, international trade, and information technology.

SPC has been carefully reviewing its international programs, considering the quality of program offerings, the number of student participants, and the cost to the College.  After careful analysis, in August 2006 SPC decided to:

•       Suspend regular study abroad programs for a time (approximately 1 year) to take time to closely evaluate programs, staffing, and procedures, particularly in light of post-911 travel realities that continue to have an impact on opportunities and resources.

•       Delay, at least for a time, filling the Director, International Programs position.

•       Suspend, not just for the 2006-2007 school years, but for the foreseeable future, any SPC study abroad programs for students under the age of 18.

While these measures were necessary in light of the current enrollment in International Study Abroad programs, SPC does not anticipate that it will hold regular study abroad opportunities in suspension for an indefinite period of time.  The experience of studying in other countries can be a powerful enrichment to a student’s education, and SPC is actively reviewing opportunities to put in place strong and vibrant study abroad programs.

Distance Education.  SPC is a leader in accomplishing another goal of the College to “serve target populations beyond the borders of Pinellas County through distance learning programs and other means that emanate from the institution's history of services and specialized expertise.”

ECampus is SPC’s distance learning program, offering fully accredited SPC courses via TV and the Internet.  More than 18,000 students throughout the US and other countries enroll in eCampus courses each year, making SPC’s distance program the largest in Florida.  SPC's eCampus offers classes via Internet, television, teleweb, and blended (classroom and online) courses in more than 100 programs of study, with complete online degree and certificate programs in many fields.

Associate of Arts program.  Students can complete all A.A. degree requirements online as well as in a classroom setting, although the majority of students enroll in a combination of online and face-to-face courses.

Associate of Science programs.  Online A.S. degrees include:

•    Crime Scene Technology

•    Emergency Administration and Management

•    Fire Science

•    Funeral Services

•    Health Information Management

•    Medical Laboratory Technology (8 hours of chemistry support courses must be taken at local colleges)

•    Veterinary Technology (Clinical component must be completed on-site in the student’s geographic area)

Baccalaureate programs.  Online Bachelor’s degrees include:

•    B.A.S. Dental Hygiene

•    B.A.S. International Business

•    B.S.N., Nursing

•    B.A.S. Technology Management

•    B.A.S. Veterinary Technology

General Education.  It is the goal of the College to “provide an open admission general education curriculum which results in students' achievement of the following educational outcomes.”  To support the overall General Education goal of St. Petersburg College, the General Education portion of the degree has established the following competencies:

All degree programs include a general education component that is designed to provide students with the knowledge bases and intellectual competencies necessary for thoughtful, effective, global citizens.  The general education curriculum is designed by faculty with subject matter expertise in the respective disciplines, and is reviewed regularly by faculty and administrators to ensure that it meets the overall goals of the general education program.  Each course, identified as a general education requirement, has undergone a thorough evaluation and has been measured against the stated standards in the framework. There is an evaluation process for ongoing course review.

Coherence in sequencing, increasing complexity, and linkages among program components

St. Petersburg College offers degree programs with a logically connected course of study that is compatible with the college’s mission statement and is based upon the field of study appropriate to higher education.  SPC as an inclusive group of faculty, staff, administrators, students and Board of Trustee members, have identified both an institutional mission and related goals.  Each program within the college supports the identified mission.  When programs are established, fields of study are determined through examination of other accredited institution’s body of academic work and by following the criteria determined by the Florida Board of Education. Common pre and co-requisites are reviewed as well as Florida Curriculum Frameworks and standards from other accrediting agencies, such as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).  This review and study enhances articulation and provides a coherent course of study.

To ensure its A.A. and A.S. degree programs provide a coherent course of study, SPC follows the statewide articulation agreement originally established in 1971 and documented in the Statewide Articulation Manual, as amended in April 2005.  The Florida Legislature provided for the development of a common course numbering system to facilitate the transfer of credit for equivalent courses among the state's colleges and universities.  It is a key component of Florida's K-20 seamless system of articulation.  The system provides a database of post- secondary courses at public vocational- technical centers, community colleges, universities, and participating nonpublic institutions.  The assigned numbers describe course content to facilitate the transfer of students to participating institutions.

According to Florida Board of Education guidelines, all degree programs must meet certain criteria including the following; program goals must be aligned with the college’s mission and relate to specific institutional strengths, and the program must include an appropriate and sequenced course of study.  Workforce programs must have identified a statewide business or industry need, have a proposed articulation agreement for parallel programs, and submit a curriculum framework that is reviewed at the State level.

The Board of Trustees Rule 6Hx23-3.04 on Course Descriptions and College Programs establishes the process for approving new degree programs.  The development of curriculum is primarily the responsibility of Faculty.  Every credit course and/or program is usually developed by Faculty and recommended through the curriculum process as defined in the Curriculum and Instruction Manual.  These procedures may differ slightly depending upon the program, but always involve the Faculty.  In many of the Associate of Science programs, an advisory committee meeting with faculty and administration begins the process by indicating a need or demand.  This same advisory process occurs with some of the four year degree programs as well.  State and employment demand influences the initiation of new programs (for example, the dramatic shortage of teachers in Florida has accelerated the need for graduates in this area).  As the process progresses, content specialists in each program of study may be identified to research existing curricula and to work with the practitioners in each field of study to acknowledge areas that might also be incorporated into the curricula.  These studies are conducted using the Dacum (Developing a Curriculum) process, which identifies the knowledge and skills, traits and attitudes, duties and tasks, and tools and equipment for a particular profession.

While developing the College of Education program of study, for example, content specialists, local school district personnel, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) personnel and outside evaluators were used.  Core courses were identified as well as electives.  A course of study outlining the requirements and any requested sequence of courses are presented.  Major learning outcomes were also developed

Example of Curriculum

SPC uses a program sequencing map to ensure that there is coherence in sequencing, increasing complexity, and linkages among program components and the major learning outcomes determined by faculty in the Curriculum and Instruction process are covered sufficiently to ensure mastery.  The criteria used in the sequencing maps are as follows:

I = Introduces the Major Learning Outcome

E = Enhances the Major Learning Outcome adds new or deeper content

R = Reviews or reinforces the major learning outcome

The following table shows a typical Program Sequencing Map:

Name of Program: Health Information Management

 

Table 1:          Goals  (The most important Major Learning Outcomes from the courses in your program)

Once this curriculum process has been completed, the materials are submitted through a Collegewide process that is illustrated as follows:

General Education.  Each program of study has a designated number of general education courses. The Bachelor’s degrees and A.A. degree must comply with the state of Florida mandate of 36 hours of General Education.  The A.S. and A.A.S. degrees have a minimum of 17 hours of general education courses, and could require more depending on the course of study.  State guidelines, local industry representatives, and advisory committees provide direction on appropriate support courses.  Some A.S. degrees are State mandated as transferable to SUS.  Some A.S. programs, such as Nursing, have pre-entry requirements that may be applied to the general education requirements.

Common prerequisites have been established for A.A. degrees to ensure the stated purposes have been met in the areas of communications, mathematics, natural sciences, social and behavioral sciences, ethics, and computer literacy; the remaining areas are addressed across the curriculum.  Additional details of the General Education program can be found in sections 2.7.3 and 3.5.3.

The A.S. and A.A.S. programs have a minimum of 17 transferable semester hours of credit in General Education.  The minimum area requirements for the 17 transferable semester hours are as follows:

General Education requirements for A.S. and A.A.S. degrees

Two additional plans for general education allow students to meet the same requirements through a program of interdisciplinary studies through the Honors College or through a broader selection of courses that meets State Board of Education requirements for the Gordon Rule (which requires students to produce written work of at least 24,000 words in 12 semester hours of English coursework).

Gordon Rule Alternative.  In addition, the Florida State Board of Education, in Rule 6A-10.030 - Other Assessment Procedures for College-Level Communication and Computation Skills, commonly referred to as the “Gordon Rule,”  has established a requirement for six hours of English coursework and six hours of additional coursework in which the student is required to demonstrate college-level writing skills through multiple assignments.  Each institution shall designate the courses that fulfill the writing requirements of this section.  SPC has defined this as 24,000 words, 14,000 distributed throughout Communications courses and 10,000 distributed throughout Humanities, Social and Behavioral Science, and Ethics courses.  In this way, the College deliberately engages students in developing skills, knowledge, and values throughout their academic careers.  Although the State Board of Education eliminated the Gordon Rule word count requirement last year, SPC has chosen to keep both the word count and distribution requirements.

Honors College Interdisciplinary Program.  Students achieving a satisfactory score on the reading and English language sections of the College Placement Test and who receive an interview orientation with Interdisciplinary Studies Program faculty may enroll in this option of the regular general education program.  The minimum area requirements for this 27 credit hour option are as follows:

1. IDS 1101H - Honors Interdisciplinary Studies - Ancient*

2. IDS 1102H - Honors Interdisciplinary Studies - Medieval/Renaissance*

3. IDS 2103H - Honors Interdisciplinary Studies - Modern*

Diversity Requirement.  SPC recognizes that communities are comprised of, and enriched by, people of diverse backgrounds. The study of diversity is encouraged to promote an understanding of the needs of individuals, the College, and society.  Students going for a degree in education must complete six credit hours with an international or multicultural focus.  This is automatically met with the A.A. degree for native SPC students.  This is met with the A.A. degree or Bachelor’s degree for transfer students.  In addition, the Florida State Board of Education requires all College of Education students to demonstrate competency in all applicable English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Standards as a condition of graduation.

Appropriateness to higher education

Fields of study are determined through examination of other accredited institution’s body of academic work and by following the criteria the Florida Board of Education:

·    Associate of Arts degrees. In addition to the general education core curriculum of thirty-six (36) semester hours in communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences, students must earn the remaining twenty-four (24) semester hours in appropriate common program prerequisite courses and electives.  The State Universities and Community Colleges in Florida have developed common prerequisites for each of the majors offered in the State University System (SUS).  Detailed information regarding the prerequisites for approximately 250 majors is provided in the Recommended A.A. Degree Programs Guide.

Sample prerequisites for SUS major from FACTS.org

July 2006

Florida Department of Education

CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Program Title: Radiography

Occupational Area: Health Science Education

Grade Level: College

Standard Length Associate Degree/77 credit hours

 

I.  MAJOR CONCEPTS/CONTENT: The purpose of this program is to prepare students for employment as Radiographers, Radiologic Technologists

… or to provide supplemental training for persons previously or presently employed in these occupations.

 

The program must be accredited by the Joint Review Committee on

Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 900, Chicago, Illinois 60606-2901, (312) 704-5300, or by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.  The program must also be approved by the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services Office of Radiation Control so that the graduate is eligible for licensure in Florida as a Certified Radiologic Technologist. As specified in Chapter 468 Part IV and 10 D-74 F.A.C.

 

The content includes, but is not limited to, introduction to radiography, medical ethics and law, medical terminology, methods of patient care, human structure and function, radiographic procedures, principles of radiographic exposure, imaging equipment, radiographic film processing, evaluation of radiographs, radiation physics, principles of radiation protection, principles of radiation biology, radiographic pathology, introduction to quality assurance, introduction to computer literacy, and clinical education. The curriculum includes a plan for well-structured competency based clinical education.

 

II.  LABORATORY ACTIVITIES: Clinical education and laboratory activities shall be supervised and include a clinical education center that offers a sufficient and well-balanced variety of radiographic examinations and equipment; supervision of all clinical assignments; integration of the planning and structure of clinical education with the didactic portion of the curriculum; laboratory practica for student demonstration and practice of essential clinical skills under simulated conditions prior to assuming actual clinical responsibilities; laboratory practica for principles and procedures of image quality, their evaluation and assurance, and radiation protection; a valid plan for clinical assignments and rotations; opportunities may be provided for elective clinical rotations.

 

The standard length for the program is 77 credit hours according to Rule 6A-14.030.

 

INTENDED OUTCOMES:

 

(0-11 = General Health Core Outcomes, not included here)

 

RADIOGRAPHY (12-18)

12.0  Apply knowledge of anatomy, physiology, positioning and radiographic techniques to accurately demonstrate anatomical structures on a radiograph or other imaging receptor.

13.0  Evaluate radiographic images for appropriate positioning and image quality.

14.0  Apply the principles of radiation protection for the patient, self and others.

15.0  Anticipate and provide patient care and comfort.

16.0  Perform quality assurance procedures.

17.0  Exercise independent judgment and discretion in the technical performance of medical imaging procedures.

18.0  Demonstrate proper operation of radiographic equipment and accessories.

 

Curriculum Frameworks also have a detailed list of Student Performance Standards

Comparison with SPC’s A.S. Degree in Radiography.  The state curriculum framework outcomes are sequenced in SPC’s sequencing map as follows:

SPC Program Sequencing Map

 

Name of Program:  Radiography Program

Date:  12/15/05

Table 1:          Goals  (Major Learning Outcomes from the courses in the program):

 

1.      The student will develop an understanding of radiation protection at the levels of recall, application, and analysis.

2.      The student will develop an understanding of equipment operation and maintenance at the levels of recall, application, and analysis.

3.      The student will develop an understanding of image production and evaluation at the levels of recall, application, and analysis.

4.      The student will develop an understanding of radiographic procedures at the levels of recall, application, and analysis.

5.      The student will develop an understanding of patient care at the levels of recall, application, and analysis.

 

Table 2:          Program Sequencing Map

I           = Introduces the Major Learning Outcome

E          = Enhances the Major Learning Outcome adds new or deeper content

R         = Reviews or reinforces the major learning outcome

 

Comparison to peer institutions.  As part of the program development process, new programs are compared to similar programs at peer institutions.  Here is the Radiography program at a nearby institution, Hillsborough Community College:

Both programs are of identical length and accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology.  The Program Required Courses at both institutions have a majority of courses with a focus on theory as well as a similar number of labs and clinicals (called practica) for hands-on experience.

·    Technical Certificates/Applied Technology Diplomas (ATD) are programs of study that are part of an associate in science degree (A.S.) or an associate in applied science degree (A.A.S.), are less than sixty (60) credit hours, and lead to employment in a specific occupation.  By definition, Technical Certificates and ATDs are college level because they consist of the same courses as A.S. and A.A.S. degrees.

Baccalaureate Degrees.  To be approved by the State, proposals for new programs must describe an appropriate and sequenced course of study, including expected student learning outcomes, an assessment plan to verify student learning, and, in the case of advanced technology and related disciplines, industry-driven competencies.  The university must also provide evidence that, if appropriate, the College anticipates seeking accreditation for the proposed program.  Common pre and co-requisites are reviewed as well as standards from other accrediting agencies, such as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).  This review and study enhances articulation between SPC and other colleges in Florida.

According to Florida Board of Education guidelines for new baccalaureate programs, all higher education degree programs must meet certain criteria including the following:  program goals must be aligned with the college’s mission and relate to specific institutional strengths and the program must include an appropriate and sequenced course of study.  Workforce programs must have identified a statewide business or industry need, have a proposed articulation agreement for parallel programs, and submit or comply with a curriculum framework that is reviewed at the state level.

As an example, St. Petersburg College offers a four-year degree program in Veterinary Technology, designed to give students the knowledge and skills to become administrators and leaders in the veterinary technology field.  The program is a natural outgrowth of the strong A.S. program in Veterinary Technology and a need identified by the A.S. program’s advisory committee.  The program first adds to students’ A.S. general education requirements to bring them to the required level for A.A. and baccalaureate programs and articulates with the A.S. program bringing 41 hours of lower division Veterinary Technology courses.

        Curriculum for a Bachelor of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology

All courses at SPC meet state law requirements and are included in a common course numbering scheme that identifies fields of study appropriate to higher education, which is a key component of Florida's K-20 seamless system of articulation.  The system provides a database of post- secondary courses at public vocational-technical centers, community colleges, universities, and participating nonpublic institutions.  The assigned numbers describe course content to facilitate the transfer of students to participating institutions.

All programs offered at SPC have been reviewed and approved by the Florida Board of Education.