By Janice Phelan,
January 23, 2019
Students participating in the Missouri Innovation Campus have more opportunities to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in a high-wage, in-demand field
while significantly reducing the time to graduate. The recognized program, located
in the state-of-the-art Lee鈥檚 Summit campus, added a bioinformatics program this school
year and will launch software engineering next year.
The Missouri Innovation Campus (MIC) is a partnership involving the University of
Central Missouri (UCM), the Lee鈥檚 Summit R-7 School District, Metropolitan Community
College and more than 50 industry-leading corporate partners. Through the MIC, students
earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree from UCM just two years after high school, reduce student
debt and gain real-world experience through three-year, paid internships with corporate
partners.
Students participating in the new programs, as well as other MIC programs, begin their
journey by enrolling in coursework at Summit Technology Academy, a high-school program
located within the Missouri Innovation Campus building and operated by the Lee鈥檚 Summit
R-7 School District.
Bioinformatics is a growing field with entry-level salaries ranging from $55,000 to
$65,000 annually. The program at the Missouri Innovation Campus is considered unique
within this area.
By analyzing the data generated within the healthcare field, bioinformatics professionals
work to identify trends in patient treatment and research, ultimately improving patient
outcomes and health.
鈥淭his program is for students who have a desire to use bioscience and computer science
skills together,鈥 said Stan Elliott, MIC director. 鈥淪tudents learn to become detectives
as they analyze data and look for trends.鈥
This spring, high-school juniors and seniors will begin enrolling in the newest program
at the MIC -- software engineering. Also a high-demand, well-paying career field,
students can expect to earn from $60,000 to $70,000 annually after earning their bachelor鈥檚
degree.
The software engineering degree, offered through UCM, is accredited by ABET (Accredited
Board for Engineering and Technology), a nonprofit organization ensuring that university
programs meet quality standards while preparing graduates for the workforce.
鈥淭his new program provides very rigorous math and science coursework so that our students
can be successful in the software engineering field,鈥 Elliott said.
By 2019-20, the Missouri Innovation Campus program will offer six bachelor鈥檚 programs
designed to reduce students鈥 cost and time spent in college while providing on-the-job,
paid internships. In addition to bioinformatics and software engineering, MIC students
have the opportunity to earn bachelor鈥檚 degrees from the 欧美视频
in systems engineering technology, drafting and design technology, computer science
and cybersecurity.