Through a memorandum of understanding between the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Wisconsin Technical Colleges, students can transfer their credits from an approved associate's degree program to UW-Platteville. According to the agreement, students transferring into industrial studies will be awarded 27 credits and the requirement for a contiguous minor will be waived. Students will also receive credit for all articulated general education coursework, significantly streamlining students' time to graduation.
“This is a broad, comprehensive collaboration, providing students from the Wisconsin Technical Colleges a clear pathway to the four-year degree in industrial studies,” said Dr. Wayne Weber, dean of the College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture. “The excellent technical skills and training that students receive through the Wisconsin Technical Colleges provides a solid foundation for student success in our industrial studies program, where our graduates are in high demand by industry in the Tri-State region.”
“The excellent technical skills and training that students receive through the Wisconsin Technical Colleges provides a solid foundation for student success in our industrial studies program, where our graduates are in high demand by industry in the Tri-State region.” – Dr. Wayne Weber
Derek Greenhalgh, who graduated in 2020 with a degree in industrial technology management, transferred to UW-Platteville from Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. Greenhalgh acknowledged he wanted to earn dual degrees and chose to transfer into the program to become more qualified when applying for professional opportunities.
“Southwest Tech gave me the controls knowledge I needed to understand how machinery functions, while UW-Platteville helped me develop my skills in design,” he said. “I didn’t want to repair machinery for a living; I wanted to design it. SWTC helped me get a solid base in controls, UW-Platteville helped me learn how to use that information to design machinery.”
Greenhalgh is a manufacturing engineer at Building Automation Product Inc. in Gays Mills, Wisconsin. He credits his education and hands-on experience with preparing him for his current position, particularly his materials and CAD classes.
“I loved school at UW-Platteville. I learned far more than I thought possible,” said Greenhalgh. “Some of my best memories were working in the plastics lab with the students from the Society of Plastics Engineers and their club advisor and taking metals classes. There were a ton of great experiences and knowledge gained.”
Greenhalgh encourages potential transfer students to take advantage of the partnership between UW-Platteville and Wisconsin Technical Colleges. The advice he shares with future transfer students is to communicate with your advisors from both institutions.
“Let [your advisors] help you make sure things will transfer nicely – talk with your teachers, ask questions and take full advantage of the time you have with them,” said Greenhalgh. “The UW-Platteville Industrial Studies program is full of fun and interesting classes. There are challenges along the way, but the teachers are always willing to help.”