College Equine Programs:
Can They Do A "Flying Change"?
The only constant is
change!
It wasn't
too many years ago that only a young woman from a wealthy family could 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 about changes at
colleges, such as Salem in West Virginia where a young woman could earn a Bachelor
of Science degree in Equestrian Studies. Post College in Waterbury, Connecticut,
began 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 decide where they "fit." Old established
private schools often had the land and the facilities to allow students to
bring their horses to college. Such schools were both exclusive and expensive…they
still are today.
State colleges and universities make up the main part of the herd, offering
a variety of credentials, including certificates, Associate and Bachelor
degrees. Frequently 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 plan 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, enjoyed working
with horses and has had a career in another field. Now she wants to know
all there is to know about horses-their care and training-plus she wants credentials.
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
move, 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 school
has purchased 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 considering "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 is the first to offer an accredited
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 costs of college have also changed with technology. Because "brick
and mortar" schools are limited in the number of students they can handle, tuition
keeps rising. The cost of a degree at a community college averages $14,000
for the two years.
A degree at a state university, for a state resident, averages $80,000, while
degrees from private colleges can easily cost $100,000 for the four years.
Not having "limited
seating," and the costs of maintaining buildings, Breyer State University can
offer the Bachelor's degree at a cost of less than $7,500 including books.
Iyuptala University takes
the convenience, plus "personal 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. They enroll in Iyuptala
University first for
the knowledge, knowing they can latter transfer credits.
Change has gone from one lead to another
and back again. Today's woman wants the most current information available
about horse health, nutrition, training and riding, because she wants to enjoy
her horses. In addition, she wants her information to be so good, 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 credentials for success;
and she gets it. Colleges are responding to the cues.
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