Can College Equine Programs Do a Flying Lead Change?

The only constant is change!

It wasn’t too many years ago that only a young woman from a wealthy family may possibly attend a “private college” which offered “equine activities” while she studied English literature.

A degree in Equine Studies was nonexistent.

But by the early 1970s, innovators such as Meredith Manor and Pacific Horse Center had recognized that young women wanted horse careers as trainers, riding instructors and competitors. These “vocational schools” brought in this area changes at colleges, such as Salem in West Virginia where a young woman may possibly earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Equestrian Studies. Post College in Waterbury, Connecticut, started offering an Associate Degree in “horsemanship”, as did Findlay College in Ohio. Other colleges saw the opportunities and “horse schools” went “public.”

Once in the herd, colleges soon had to choose where they “fit.” Ancient established private schools often had the land and the conveniences to allow students to bring their horses to college. Such schools were both special and expensive…they still are today.

State colleges and universities make up the main part of the herd, offering a diversity of certificate, including certificates, Associate and Bachelor degrees. Often the degrees are in fields such as business with an “emphasis” on equine studies.

Community colleges generally offer the most affordable traditional programs awarding both certificates and Associate degrees.

Today there are nearly 50,000 students enrolled in equine study programs at 200 U.S. colleges and universities; most are women who plot on a career. A typical program consists of 60 units of general education credit and 60 units of equine science.

]]>

But change is constant; there is so much more information available today, traditional colleges are having a hard time keeping pace using a traditional program. And while the traditional student still exists, the non-traditional student is becoming the “majority.”

Today’s equine studies student is more often than not a woman who has always loved horses, loved working with horses and has had a career in a further field. Now she wants to know all there is to know in this area horses—their care and training—plus she wants certificate.

Scottsdale Community College in Arizona offers a traditional Associates degree in Equine Science while the non-credit department offers a Horse Sense Success Series certificate.

In an innovative go, Scottsdale opened its program to the community by offering English and western horse training classes on a “bring your own horse” to evening sessions. While they are not “core” courses, they still earn full credit.

Midway College in Kentucky, established 1847, is a private girls college that has a successful traditional equine science program. But to meet the needs of change, the teach has bought 94 adjacent acres and plans to build a “boarding stable” open to the public. This innovation will change the traditional to the vocational.

Stephens College in Missouri, also well know and successful with traditional, is taking into account “internship credits” for “specialized, non-traditional courses.”

Today’s horsewoman is both young and more mature and she wants a lot more….meeting her demands for convenience and affordability are new “online programs.”

Breyer State University (www.equinedegreeonline.com) is the first to offer an qualified Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies degree completely online and with no general education requirements. The open entry program offers 120 units of equine study credits, allowing the student to work at her own pace with no completion deadlines.

The expenditure of college have also changed with technology. Because “brick and mortar” schools are restricted in the digit of students they can handle, tuition keeps rising. The cost of a degree at a community college averages ,000 for the two years.

A degree at a state university, for a state resident, averages ,000, while degrees from private colleges can straightforwardly cost 0,000 for the four years.

Not having “restricted seating,” and the expenditure of maintaining buildings, Breyer State University can offer the Bachelor’s degree at a cost of less than ,500 including books.

Iyuptala University takes the convenience, plus “private enrichment” concept even farther. At Iyuptala, a student takes a series of courses of her choice, earning a certificate for each. The desire of these students is to be a better horse owner, trainer or rider.

Change has gone from one lead to a further and back again. Today’s woman wants the most contemporary information available in this area horse health, nutrition, training and riding, because she wants to delight in her horses. In addition, she wants her information to be so excellent, that she can get college credits just in case she decides she wants a career.

Today’s woman wants it all, education, convenience, affordability and the certificate for success; and she gets it. Colleges are responding to the cues.

Tags: Bachelor Degrees, Bachelor Of Science, Bachelor Of Science Degree, change, College, Colleges And Universities, Community Colleges, Education Credit, English Literature, equine, Equine Activities, Equine Science, Findlay College, Flying, Horse Careers, Horse Center, Keeping Pace, Lead, Meredith Manor, Private College, Programs, Riding Instructors, State Colleges, Traditional Colleges, Typical Program, Waterbury Connecticut

Category: College It Courses Article