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[ MUSIC ]
>> NINA CASH: HELLO AND WELCOME TO NEWSLINK.
I'M NINA CASH.
ON TODAY'S SEGMENT WE'LL BE SHOWCASING THE BACHELOR
OF SCIENCE IN ENGINEERING DEGREE COMPLETION PROGRAM OFFERED
AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH.
THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED
IN COMPLETING THEIR UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE
IN ELECTRICAL OR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.
CLASSES ARE HELD AT THE LANCASTER UNIVERSITY CENTER
IN THE ANTELOPE VALLEY AREA, PROVIDING UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS
TO THE INDUSTRY, INCLUDING INTERNSHIPS
WITH LOCAL COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS.
>> THIS PROGRAM IS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT A CAREER
IN EITHER MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING.
>> I THINK I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS PROGRAM TO ANY MECHANICAL
OR ELECTRICAL ENGINEER WHO'S INTERESTED IN OBTAINING A DEGREE
IN A SMALL SETTING, LIKE, VERSUS GOING
TO A LARGE CAMPUS WITH MANY STUDENTS.
YOU CAN GET LOST IN THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE.
>> YOU KNOW, THE ENVIRONMENT ITSELF HAS PRODUCED A SITUATION
WHERE INDUSTRY HAS A HARD TIME RETAINING EMPLOYEES
FROM OUTSIDE THE AREA.
SO THEY WERE VITALLY INTERESTED IN GETTING WHAT WE CALL
"HOMEGROWN ENGINEERS" AND GETTING THE RIGHT CURRICULUM
THAT WOULD SUPPORT THEM.
>> ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS WHY I PICKED THIS PROGRAM IS
BECAUSE I WAS LIVING IN LANCASTER AND COMMUTING
TO LONG BEACH A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK.
AND IT WAS A MAJOR BREATH OF FRESH AIR JUST TO SEE
THAT I CAN HAVE A CAMPUS THAT,
INSTEAD OF BEING POTENTIALLY THREE HOURS AWAY WITH TRAFFIC,
IT'S TEN MINUTES AWAY.
AND THAT WAS A MAJOR MOTIVATOR FOR PICKING THIS PROGRAM.
>> MY FAMILY LIVES OUT HERE.
I HAVE A CHILD, I HAVE A WIFE, I HAVE A HOUSE.
SO JUST UPROOTING EVERYBODY, GOING TO ANOTHER STATE
OR ANOTHER LOCATION IS VERY DIFFICULT.
I DID NOT WANT TO DRIVE DOWN BELOW,
WHICH I WAS LOOKING AT THAT PROSPECT.
>> BASICALLY OUR STUDENTS ENTER THE PROGRAM IN THE FALL ONLY.
THEY'RE ALL TRANSFER STUDENTS.
SO THEY ENTER AS JUNIORS.
AND IT'S A COHORT-BASED PROGRAM.
SO THEY GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM
FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END TOGETHER.
>> THE OTHER ADVANTAGE WOULD BE THE COHORT STYLE OF TEACHING.
WITH THE STUDENTS STAYING TOGETHER,
WE TEND TO WORK TOGETHER A LOT MORE,
WHICH IN THE INDUSTRY TODAY TEAMWORK IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IT'S NOT LIKE A ONE-PERSON KIND OF DEAL.
AND AS A TEAM WE GET THROUGH THE PROGRAM TOGETHER.
>> ENGINEERING SKILLS ARE A COMMODITY.
ANYBODY CAN TEACH YOU THAT.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE INTEGRATIVE SKILLS:
BEING ABLE TO PULL TOGETHER INFORMATION FROM MORE
THAN ONE CLASS; BE ABLE TO APPLY SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE LEARNED
IN CLASS TO A REAL WORLD APPLICATION;
TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER WITH PEOPLE ON A TEAM;
TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO A TEAM;
TO HELP YOUR TEAM ACHIEVE WHATEVER ITS GOALS ARE.
>> WE OFFER OUR CLASSES ON MONDAY, WEDNESDAYS,
AND FRIDAYS ONLY, WHICH ALLOWS OUR STUDENTS, THEN,
TO PARTICIPATE IN INDUSTRY ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS.
>> I AM A GROUP LEAD WITHIN THE IN-HOUSE BRANCH
AT THE AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY FOCUSING
ON LIQUID ROCKET ENGINE TECHNOLOGIES.
IT WAS VERY OPPORTUNISTIC TO BRING THEM ON AS INTERNS
AND TRAIN THEM UP ON THE SKILLS THAT WE NEED IN OUR FIELD.
AND SINCE WE ALREADY HAVE TRAINED THEM AND THEY WORKED
OUT SO WELL, WE DECIDED TO BRING THEM ON FULL-TIME AS EMPLOYEES.
>> ONE OF THE MAJOR MOTIVATORS I HAD WAS THAT THERE IS
SUCH A AEROSPACE INDUSTRY OUT HERE.
AND BEING SUCH A SMALL PROGRAM,
I KNEW THERE WAS A GREATER CHANCE OF BEING NOTICED
AND A CHANCE OF NETWORKING WITH THIS INDUSTRY AND GETTING A JOB
VERSUS BEING ON THE MAIN CAMPUS
WHERE THERE'S LITERALLY THOUSANDS
OF STUDENTS YOU'RE COMPETING WITH.
THROUGH THIS PROGRAM I WAS ABLE TO GET AN INTERNSHIP AT AFRL.
AND UPON GRADUATION I WAS ABLE TO GET A FULL-TIME JOB OFFER.
>> WE LOOK FOR THAT ENGINEERING DISCIPLINE,
WE LOOK FOR THAT DRIVE AND MATURITY,
THAT ANALYTICAL CAPABILITY, AND THEIR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE.
WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF THESE GRADUATES
AS INTERNS OVER THE YEARS.
THEY'VE PROVEN THAT THEY'RE VERY ADAPTABLE TO THE TYPE
OF WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
>> I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO HAVE A LEG
UP IN THE INDUSTRY BECAUSE OF
THAT TEAMWORK ASPECT OF THE PROGRAM.
>> THE REASON I LIKE THIS PROGRAM IS
BECAUSE IT'S INDUSTRY-FOCUSED AND FULL OF OPPORTUNITY.
>> MY FAMILY IS, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY PROUD OF ME.
AND, YOU KNOW, MY FATHER HAS HIS PHD IN PHYSICS.
HE'S A PHYSICIST, SO HE LOVES THE FACT THAT, "OH,
MY SON'S AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER."
[LAUGHTER]
>> NINA CASH: THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THIS SEGMENT
OF NEWSLINK, AND I HOPE YOU LEARNED A LITTLE BIT MORE
ABOUT THE BACHELORS OF SCIENCE
IN ENGINEERING DEGREE COMPLETION PROGRAM OFFERED
THROUGH CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACH.
I'M NINA CASH.
WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.
[ MUSIC ]