LIMA, OH (WLIO) - A new partnership between two local universities will help fill the need for engineers in the workforce.
Bluffton University and Ohio State University in Lima signed an agreement to create a program for Bluffton students to study engineering at OSU and get degrees from both institutions. If students follow a strict curriculum, they will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Engineering Science from Bluffton, and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology from OSU in four years. Officials say the partnership between the private and public universities creates a win-win for the students.
"Students can come to Bluffton University, stay all four years on our campus. If they want to play a sport at the DIII level they can. Then they take two years of their courses here at OSU Lima and they can continue to live on our campus," says Dr. Jane Wood, Bluffton University President. "So, this really allows the students to have that private school experience, but also the benefits of this wonderful, fabulous facility here at OSU Lima, so we are just thrilled with the partnership."
Along with the students seeing the benefits from the partnership, so will the local industries looking to hire engineers.
"One of the unique things about this degree program is that it was actually designed in collaboration with our industry partners," says Dr. Margaret Young, Interim Dean and Director of OSU Lima Campus. "So, this innovative partnership with Bluffton University and Ohio State Lima is really going to help propel forward, meeting the demands of our industry partners.
The first year of the partnership will begin in the fall of 2024. To read the press release from Bluffton University, you can click this link.
