Yavapai College Eyes Future Baccalaureate Expansion

On Jan. 10, 2023, Yavapai College announced that it would offer a Bachelor of Science degree in business, with a concentration in organizational management and leadership. Since that time, it has added concentrations in accounting and entrepreneurship.

It is the first baccalaureate degree to be offered at Yavapai College and the first baccalaureate to be offered by any rural community college in Arizona.

Since the launch of the degree, our faculty and staff have worked feverishly to ensure that this degree fulfills its intended purpose, which was to create access to baccalaureate degree options right here in Yavapai County that are affordable and attainable.

The Bachelor of Science in Business degree has a tuition price of just $155 per credit for the upper-level courses, a massive discount compared to other baccalaureate options. There are also no additional program fees and nearly every class uses open educational resources or zero-cost textbooks.

So far, the degree has been a massive success. A staggering 342 students have declared the B.S. in Business degree as their program of study and 260 students have registered for classes this fall.

Of the 342 students pursuing the degree, 88% reside in Yavapai County. This is a game changer for our communities.

What’s Next?

I am so thrilled at the initial success of the business degree. It proves that Yavapai College can be the place to fill the educational need of our county residents.

Despite the program’s success, we aren’t stopping with just one degree.

YC is deep in the process of launching its second baccalaureate degree, a *Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

We fully understand the critical need for health care in our communities and have been working closely with the hospitals and health organizations in Yavapai County to identify their needs and create actionable ways in which Yavapai College can help.

The proposed Bachelor of Science in Nursing is the first of those actionable items, and I hope we can share more details about this new degree soon.

Yavapai College is also exploring additional future baccalaureate degrees that will be beneficial for our communities.

I am truly proud of the education and service that Yavapai College provides to our communities. I am excited to watch our first cohort of bachelor’s degree students’ progress toward their goals. QCBN

By Lisa B. Rhine

Lisa B. Rhine, Ph.D., is the president of Yavapai College.

*Pending Higher Learning Commission Approval. This degree is not official and is not enrolling at this time.

In Feb. 2019, Dr. Lisa B. Rhine became the 10th president of Yavapai College, bringing to the institution more than 30 years of leadership experience across a number of leading colleges and universities in Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia. Dr. Rhine assumed this role with a commitment to advance the mission of the college while ensuring access and support to those for whom opportunities may have been historically limited or denied.

Yavapai College offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, student and community services, and cultural events and activities at six locations throughout Yavapai County, including campuses in Prescott and Clarkdale, and centers in Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Sedona and the Prescott Airport.