HCC targets business professionals with expansion of new Saturday program

Aug 26, 2016

The Monday through Friday grind of work, getting the kids to school and extra-curricular activities leaves little time for the average American family to complete a degree or certification, so Houston Community College (HCC) is making the decision to bridge the gap between dream and reality with the “Fast Track Saturday” Business Certificate program.

Starting this Fall semester at the HCC West Loop Campus, individuals interested in the HCC Business Administration & Management program can begin their journey by attending classes every Saturday for one year.

“Fast Track Saturday is intended to make education more accessible and flexible for individuals in our community who perhaps thought they could not go to school because of their busy work and life schedules,” Business Center of Excellence Director Dr. Jesus Rodriguez said.

The certificate classes being offered at the West Loop Campus are designed to funnel directly into the HCC Weekend College Program.

“This aligns with our strategy of creating connection points throughout our community to help students start with a program of study at one campus, for instance, the “Fast Track Saturday” Business Certificate Program at the Southwest College, and complete an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree at another campus, the Weekend College Program at Central College,” Rodriguez said.

The class structure of the “Fast Track Saturday” Business Certificate Program will follow the current format of the HCC Weekend College AAS program. The courses will be offered in a hybrid format taken back-to-back for two eight-week sessions. Students will take 12 credit hours during the fall semester, 12 credit hours during the spring semester, and the final two classes during the summer semester.

Upon completion of the program, students will have completed 30 semester hours earning their Management Certificate. Students can use those credits to transfer into the HCC Business Administration – Management Specialization to earn their AAS degree through the HCC Weekend College and complete their coursework. Regardless, students completing their 1-year certificate at the West Loop Campus will be able to enter the workforce ready for entry-level management positions. 

For more information about the program, visit hccs.edu/weekendcollege.