(Photo by Brett Dunlap) West Virginia University at Parkersburg President Torie Jackson and Washington State College of Ohio President Sarah Parker signed paperwork Tuesday establishing a 2+2 degree pathway in cybersecurity during a ceremony at WVUP’s Innovation and Technology Center in Vienna.

VIENNA — Students from Washington State College of Ohio will be able to obtain a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity by taking classes through West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Innovation and Technology Center.

Officials with WVUP and Washington State College of Ohio gathered at WVUP’s Innovation and Technology Center in Vienna on Tuesday where WVUP President Torie Jackson and WSCO President Sarah Parker signed a partnership agreement establishing a 2+2 degree pathway in cybersecurity.

The agreement allows students to earn an Associate of Applied Science in Cyber Security at WSCO and then transfer to WVUP to complete a Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cyber Security and Network Administration, officials said.

“We know what this will bring to this community,” Jackson said. “It brings a lot of excitement, a lot of innovation and a lot of opportunities for new partnerships.

“We are very thankful for Washington State College of Ohio and what that partnership can mean for students.”

(Photo by Brett Dunlap) West Virginia University at Parkersburg President Torie Jackson and Washington State College of Ohio President Sarah Parker signed paperwork Tuesday establishing a 2+2 degree pathway in cybersecurity during a ceremony at WVUP’s Innovation and Technology Center in Vienna.

The agreement will help to continue to develop the regional workforce and provide educational opportunities to students in this area, Parker said.

“Washington State is committed to good partnerships,” she said. “This is an extension of what we can provide our students through great partnerships with really awesome educational organizations here in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

“It keeps our workforce strong and that is what we are committed to.”

Courses for the bachelor’s degree will be delivered by WVUP through its online learning platform with an option of attending in-person classes if they want which would make them eligible to live in the residence hall, Jackson said.

Parker said they completed a workforce study that told them there are jobs in this career field that will need to be filled locally.

(Photo by Brett Dunlap) West Virginia University at Parkersburg President Torie Jackson takes Washington State College of Ohio President Sarah Parker on a tour of WVUP’s Innovation and Technology Center in Vienna on Tuesday after the two schools signed an agreement establishing a 2+2 degree pathway in cybersecurity.

“We want to make sure we are doing our part,” she said. “The more you learn the more you earn.

“We are making sure our students have a clear pathway to a baccalaureate.”

WSCO has a number of institutions its students can transfer to, but it is not always a seamless process where credits don’t always transfer easily.

“This is an established partnership that we can guarantee students that what they take at Washington State will count towards their baccalaureate,” Parker said. “These kinds of partnerships are what we want to establish and promote so we can guarantee our students that smooth transition.

“We are excited about this.”

Students will also receive coordinated academic advising from both institutions to ensure a smooth transition and support timely degree completion, officials said.

“What matters most is students in this area have opportunities,” Jackson said. “That is the goal of both of our institutions.

“You don’t have to go far away to get the skills you need to get a very good job, either here in our area or across the globe.”

Jackson said WVUP is one of the few state community colleges that offers bachelor’s degrees.

“We need to make sure we are partnering with other two-year institutions in giving them those opportunities,” she said. “We purposely tried to build those two last years as a ladder so you can take the first two years there and then come in and finish two years with us.

“In some programs that works really well. This is an example of that.”

Jackson said the programs at both schools mesh well together.

People would be able to get a good job with an Associate’s degree, but by giving local students the ability to continue on and earn a four-year Bachelor’s degree can qualify them for better job opportunities, she said.

“They are giving the foundational skills that we know we can build on,” Jackson said. “Tech jobs are continuing to grow and we want to be sure people can get those skills here in the Mid-Ohio Valley.”

The partnership takes effect immediately with the classes beginning in the fall.