Greenville Technical College’s Bachelor in Applied Science in Advanced Manufacturing Technology was launched last fall. With this degree, South Carolina has joined at least 22 states where policies authorize two-year colleges to offer at least one bachelor’s degree. Greenville Technical College (GTC) is currently the only two-year college in the SC Technical College System to offer this level of education.
The degree is technical in focus with a project-based curriculum. The program prepares graduates to assume technical and managerial leadership positions in the growing global manufacturing sector, which drives South Carolina’s economic strength.
Need for this educational option was voiced by some of the area’s strongest manufacturing employers including Michelin, GE, and Bosch Rexroth. The new degree strengthens Greenville Technical College’s ability to provide the workforce skills required by industry.
Bachelor’s degrees at community colleges lower the cost of education and increase accessibility. Students entering GTC’s new degree may be veteran employees who have earned an associate degree in a manufacturing-related field and are working as technicians. They need a bachelor’s degree in order to advance. Before this degree was authorized, those employees interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree couldn’t build upon their associate degrees, instead having to start their education over at a four-year institution. Other students in the bachelor’s degree program are immediately building upon an associate degree in Mechatronics Technology, Machine Tool Technology, CNC Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, or Electronics Engineering Technology.
Dr. Philip Caruso has been hired as academic program director for the bachelor’s degree. Caruso earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Northeastern University, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, also from Purdue. He spent 25 years with GE Power and Water, first as principal engineer and later as manager of the Advanced Courses in Engineering (ACE) program. In 2016, he began work at Greenville Technical College as an assistant professor and department head for the Mechanical Engineering Technology program. Caruso holds a number of patents for gas turbine components including sensor packaging for the turbine engine. He is a member of ASME and SkillsUSA.
Ram Iyer has been hired as an instructor for the new bachelor’s degree program in Advanced Manufacturing. Iyer brings 30 years of industrial and educational experience along with a passion for teaching to the position. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Bombay, India, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. After spending 20 years in industry as a mechanical/manufacturing/project engineer, he started a machine shop making precision parts. He later switched over to business consulting and began teaching along the way. He spent 15 years as an instructor with the University of Phoenix teaching both online and in the classroom before moving to Greenville three years ago. These experiences have helped him to understand the difficulties faced by students who are also working adults. Iyer is a volunteer with Junior Achievement and also a Distinguished Toastmaster.
Information sessions for the Bachelor in Applied Science in Advanced Manufacturing Technology will be held at the college’s Center for Manufacturing Innovation adjacent to CU-ICAR on Millennium Boulevard. To reserve a seat, go to https://open-house-advmfg-bachdegree.eventbrite.com.