Centralia College on Monday announced that its fifth bachelor’s degree program has received final approval and classes will start this fall.
The college’s newest baccalaureate program — a bachelor’s of applied science in behavioral health care — teaches students about treatment of mental illness, substance use disorder, poverty and homelessness.
Graduates will go on to work in fields including social work, addiction treatment and counseling, according to a news release from the college.
“Locally, there is huge demand for people with training and advanced degrees in behavioral health care,” said Connie Smejkal, dean of business, teacher education and family development, in a statement.
“We heard from countless employers and worked directly with them to develop a program that would meet the needs of our immediate community. We also have current students and graduates from our substance use disorder professional and criminal justice programs that want an advanced degree to further their careers.”
Priority applications for fall attendance are currently being accepted through July 30. Applicants will be notified Aug. 16 if they’ve been accepted and classes will start Sept. 20. The program is an evening hybrid program, with classes meeting in-person two evenings per week and the remaining classwork hosted online.
Centralia College also offers bachelor’s degrees in applied management, diesel technology, information technology, application development and K-8 teacher education.
