BSC to become 1st Polytechnic Institute in ND

Bismarck State College will become the first polytechnic institution in North Dakota.

The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education approved for BSC to more forward with their mission to offer a variety of bachelor of applied science degrees while still offering the current associate degree.

A bachelor of applied science degree in cyber security and information technology will start in the fall of 2019 with the help of a $1.85 million donation to support the new programs.

"We're very excited about it, we've been thinking about this for a very long time. Uh I've taken teams with me to to a couple of polytechnics," said Dr. Larry Skogen, Bismarck State College president

Skogen says the ultimate goal is to meet business and industry needs.

The college hopes to develop four year degrees in instrumentation and control and advanced manufacturing.