Business and Technical Education Areas of Study
The Division of Business and Technical Education provides high-quality educational
programs that prepare students for careers in business, industry, agriculture, and/or
academic coursework for those planning to transfer to a four-year institution. Programs
are approved by their respective organizations including the American Bar Association,
the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, and the Association of
Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering.
View Program Outcomes
Accounting
Walters State offers two different accounting pathways, the Associate of Applied Science
in Business – Accounting for students wishing to be prepared to work in the field
upon completion of their time at Walters State and the Tennessee Transfer Pathways
Associate of Science in Accounting for students planning to transfer to a senior institution
to continue their education and work toward a Bachelor’s degree.
Walters State's Associate of Applied Science Degree in Business - Accounting is designed
to prepare successful graduates for entry-level employment opportunities as a paraprofessional
in accounting. The program recognizes the demand of accounting professionals and business
owners for employees who are proficiently trained in all areas of record keeping and
account reconciliation.
Additional Information
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The accounting environment is changing rapidly. Tennessee law requires candidates
wishing to become certified public accountants to have 150 semester hours of college
education--the equivalent of five years at a college or university.
Not everyone can or is willing to devote so much time to a course of study. Walters
State has an alternative. Earn a two-year associate in Business with a concentration
in Accounting. You will be prepared to go to work immediately as a paraprofessional
in accounting offices and small businesses. And if you decide you want to enhance
your professional accountant credentials, you can easily continue your education at
a senior institution because approximately 70 percent of your coursework will transfer
to most colleges and universities.
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Agriculture
The Associate of Science in Agriculture is designed for students planning to transfer
to a four-year college or university to complete a bachelor's degree in agriculture.
The Animal Science - Pre-Veterinary Medicine program is designed for students desiring
a degree in Animal Science prior to entering a college of veterinary medicine or those
students with a Veterinary Medicine degree who also desire a degree in Animal Science.
Business
Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, the division offers programs and courses in the following academic disciplines:
accounting, business, culinary arts, economics, law, management, hospitality management,
and marketing. Our faculty and staff have strong educational backgrounds and have
had a variety of business experiences.
* accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
Computer Information Technology
Computer Information Technology prepares individuals for employment as computer professionals
and/or the successful transfer to a baccalaureate program at a four-year institution.
The department emphasizes the development of competence in the use of the computer
and the various information technologies.
Computer Science
The department of Computer Science prepares individuals for employment as computer
professionals and/or the successful transfer to a baccalaureate program at a four-year
institution. The department emphasizes the development of competence in the use of
the computer and the various information technologies.
* accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
Culinary Arts
The Culinary Arts department is located at Walters State's Maples Institute for Culinary Arts located on the Sevier County Campus. Students can earn the A.A.S. or Technical Certificate
in culinary arts with an emphasis in either hot foods or baking and pastry. The A.A.S
in culinary arts prepares students for successful careers in food preparation, cooking,
baking, kitchen or restaurant management and non-commercial food service.
The Butchery Program offers a traditional perspective when embracing the learning
process of animal butchery. We partner with our community to provide only locally
raised premium meats from animals raised with the best practices in ethical farming
practices and sustainability. We respectfully consider the animals with regard to
full-utilization of carcasses and long established old-world artisanal techniques
imparted from our German partner program in Thuringia, Germany when preparing our
sausages and cutting our meats. Our students will be working with our community partners
on and off campus, gaining valuable worked-based learning through guided internships
and apprenticeships.
Economics
The Economics pathways are designed for transfer as an Economics Major, B.S., B.B.A.,
or B.S.B.A., in Colleges or Schools of Business at any public university in Tennessee.
Electrical Engineering Technology
The National Center for Education Statistics defines the fields of electrical, electronic,
and communications engineering technologies as programs “that prepare individuals
to apply basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of electrical,
electronics and communication engineers. Includes instruction in electrical circuitry,
prototype development and testing, systems analysis and testing, systems maintenance,
instrument calibration, and report preparation”. Other pertinent electrical engineering
technology disciplines include applied electrical skills in the areas of circuit design,
maintenance, automation, and systems calibration. The Electrical Engineering Technology
program provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to secure gainful
employment in manufacturing industries, telecommunications, and healthcare, to name
a few. Skills emphasized in the program include, but are not limited to: AC and DC
circuitry, programmable logic controller programming, robotics programming, and maintenance
in an advanced automation setting.
Student Performance and Achievement Data for Electrical Engineering Technology
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Student Retention Rates – 80.0%
Graduation rates for Electrical Engineering Technology - 56.1%
2021 Nationwide Median Salary – $63,640
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Mean Graduate Grade Point Average – 3.46
Promotions Achieved – 50% have received promotions and/or raises
2022 Graduate Follow-up Survey
Time to Secure First Position – 100% in first 6 months
2022 Graduate Follow-up Survey
Average Years to Complete the Program – 6.63 semesters
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Engineering Systems Technology
Engineering Systems Technology prepares students to assume highly skilled technical
and supervisory positions in business and industry. Each of the concentrations has
a common core of course work designed to provide a fundamental background in general
education and specific course work in Engineering Systems Technology. Students are
required to take a minimum of 12 semester hours of technical course work at Walters
State Community College.
Student Performance and Achievement Data for Engineering Systems Technology
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Student Retention Rates – 73.3%
Graduation rates for Engineering Systems Technology – 52.0%
2021 Nationwide Median Salary Range – $60,360
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Mean Graduate Grade Point Average – 3.59
Promotions Achieved – 75% have received promotions and/or raises
2022 Graduate Follow-up Survey
Time to Secure First Position – 100% in first 6 months
2022 Graduate Follow-up Survey
Average Years to Complete the Program – 6.33 semesters
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Engineering Technology
Students planning to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree program in Engineering Technology
may take the first two years of study as directed by an Engineering Technology advisor
here at Walters State. Students should be fully aware of the institution to which
they wish to transfer, the precise concentration or option they wish to pursue at
the 4-year institution and any pertinent articulation agreements. Students must follow
the direction of their advisor precisely or risk having some of their credits not
accepted in transfer.
Hospitality Management
The Associate of Applied Science in Business – Hospitality Management is based at
the Walters State Sevier County Campus. This program prepares students to enter various phases of the hospitality industry,
one of the most dynamic and fastest growing fields open to college graduates today.
Students will tailor their program to a specific area of interest by choosing a Hotel
Management or Food & Beverage Management Specialization. In addition, the program
includes a solid business core requirement, affording students with a broader base
of business skills useful in the industry.
Management
The Associate of Applied Science in Business- Management prepares graduates for entry-level
positions and/or career advancement in business and government settings. Students
receive a general background in the important functions of business and people-oriented
management skills which prepare the graduate for jobs of increasing responsibility
and advancement with employers in the following settings: retail stores, service industry,
banks and other financial institutions, non-profit organizations, government agencies,
health care industry and manufacturing firms.
Paralegal Studies
The Associate of Applied Science in Business Paralegal Studies prepares students to
work under the supervision of an attorney in private law offices, government agencies
or corporate law departments performing delegated legal work including legal research,
document preparation, client interviewing, factual investigation and case management
utilizing current technology and in compliance with ethical and professional standards.
The Paralegal Studies program at Walters State is approved by the America Bar Association (ABA).
* accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
Program Goals
- Prepare students to competently and effectively assist attorneys working in private
practice, the government sector, and other legal environments.
- Students will demonstrate effective legal knowledge and practical skills necessary
to perform substantive legal work under the direction of an attorney.
- Provide students with a practical foundation in the ethical and professional principles
that govern attorneys and paralegals, including the dangers of the unauthorized practice
of law by non-lawyers.
- Provide students with a working knowledge of the substantive areas of the law.
- Assist students in developing effective oral and written communication, analytical
thinking, technology, and legal research skills.
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Career Information
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The ABA defines a paralegal (or legal assistant) as "a person qualified by education,
training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation,
governmental agency or other entity who performs specifically delegated substantive
legal work for which a lawyer is responsible." Paralegals may not provide legal services
directly to the public except as permitted by law.
Paralegals perform various tasks delegated to them by the supervising attorney including
legal research, document preparation, client and witness interviewing, fact investigation,
and litigation case management. The paralegal field has been one of the fastest growing
career fields for some time and that trend is projected to continue into the foreseeable
future.
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Policy Regarding the Award of Credit for Law Courses by Examination or Transfer from
another Institution
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The paralegal studies program of Walters State does not permit the award of law course
credit by examination. To preserve the quality and integrity of the program, no more
than six (6) hours of law course credits may be awarded by transfer from another institution.
When a request for credit by transfer is made by a student, the transcript of the
institution where those credits were awarded must be presented to the college's student records office. The program director will then review the transcript and a course description from
the institution which awarded the credits and makes a determination as to 1) whether
the institution which awarded the credits is accredited at a level substantially equivalent
to Walters State; 2) whether the credits were awarded as part of a paralegal program
substantially the equivalent of the Walters State paralegal studies program; and 3)
whether the specific course appears to cover substantially the same material and involve
the same number of semester hours as the equivalent course at Walters State. In the
event the program director is satisfied that an acceptance/transfer of the credits
is appropriate under these criteria, then the program director will generate a course
substitution form indicating the source of the credits and the law course for which
they should be accepted as credit and the reason for that recommendation. The course
substitution is not effective until approved by the division dean, the vice president
for academic affairs and the student records office.
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Program Outcomes