The applied baccalaureate degree, which integrates once-terminal applied associate degrees and course work into a four-year degree, is a relatively new phenomenon in higher education. This article presents findings from the first of two phases of research conducted--utilizing Kingdon's (1995) Multiple Streams framework--exploring the status of…

State-level interest in meeting workforce needs and facilitating adults' baccalaureate attainment is changing conceptions of the applied associate degree and the mission of the community college. In this article, the author draws on data from a recent study about the applied baccalaureate degree (Townsend and Bragg, 2008) to describe the growing…

In the nation's changing economy, there is an increasing necessity for baccalaureate level education for jobs that have never before required that level of education. One potential solution to issues related to baccalaureate attainment and workforce development is the applied baccalaureate degree. Applied baccalaureate degrees have arisen from a…

This study focused on degree-seeking baccalaureate-degree holders at one two-year technical institute in the Midsouth to determine why they chose to study at the two-year college and how they compared their two-year college experience with their baccalaureate educational experience. Findings indicated the technical college was their first choice…

Examined attendance patterns of two-year college transfers to a public university, investigating how many students transferred with associate degrees. Students used two-year colleges in many ways to pursue baccalaureates, with 45 percent of students attending 3 or more colleges in pursuing the baccalaureate and 13 percent continuing to enroll at…

This paper examines the shrinking divide between upper and lower division courses and the phenomenon of two-year colleges now being authorized to offer the community college baccalaureate. The author describes the following three educational trends: (1) the upside-down baccalaureate degree, where the order in which students take general education…

Examines the current role of community colleges in pre-service and in-service teacher education, including the development of the associate of arts degree in teacher education, the community college baccalaureate in teacher education, and alternative certification programs. Discusses factors influencing future trends and predictions about the…

Examines the factors influencing the choice process and institutional/educational satisfaction of baccalaureate degree holders in two-year college degree programs. Constructs demographic profile of these students, ascertains reasons for attending two-year college, and determines factors contributing to satisfaction. States that 62% of students…

This study focused on the transfer and academic performance of applied associate degree recipients in Missouri. The author collected data on two-year college graduates who transferred to a Missouri public four-year college between fall 1996 and summer 1997 and graduated by spring 2000. The study sought to determine if there were any statistically…

This report discusses the transfer rate of community college students with A.S. or A.A.S. degrees from vocational or "terminal" programs in Missouri. The study shows that during the 1995-1996 academic year, 6,171 students received an associate degree from a Missouri public two-year college. Of these, 3,169 (51%) earned the A.A. degree…

This document is a study on the attendance patterns of community college transfer students prior to their matriculation at The University of Memphis (Tennessee). The study focuses on three topics: (1) the percentage of community college students who transfer with associate degrees; (2) the students' patterns of institutional attendance, both…