Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Western Kentucky U Launches Competency-Based Advanced Manufacturing Degree

In an effort to provide more flexible degree options for adult learners, Western Kentucky University is launching AMS On Demand, a competency-based bachelor of science degree program in advanced manufacturing.

The program will be offered beginning Dec. 1 through WKU On Demand, a unit of the institution's Division of Extended Learning & Outreach that offers self-paced, non-semester-based courses. Students can begin classes whenever they choose and complete assignments according to their own calendar. Coursework is completed online, while on-site labs at WKU provide students with practical experience.

"Through this approach, students progress through their program at their own pace, as they prove their knowledge and skills required for the course," said Greg Arbuckle, department chair for Architectural & Manufacturing Sciences, in a university statement. "Degree completion combined with practical experience can open new job opportunities for students enrolled in this program. And the flexibility this type of format offers makes it more attainable for students who are juggling personal and professional commitments."

"This competency-based program enhances WKU's distance learning opportunities," said Julie Uranis, director of distance learning at WKU. "We are committed to making higher education more accessible to everyone throughout the region, and this new approach provides an additional option for adult students."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • digital brain with network connections

    Microsoft Moving to Internally Developed AI Models in Office Apps

    Microsoft is reportedly using its own in-house artificial intelligence models to handle some workloads in Excel and Outlook, offering new evidence that the company is moving its AI strategy beyond model development and into large-scale cost reduction.

  • circuit patterns

    Anthropic Launches Lower-Cost Claude Sonnet 5

    Anthropic has released Claude Sonnet 5, positioning the model as its most autonomous mid-tier offering to date and a lower-cost alternative to its flagship Opus 4.8 system. The company said the model can plan multi-step tasks, operate tools such as browsers and terminals, and complete agentic work at a level that previously required larger and more expensive models.

  • Human Hand Assembling Digital Data Blocks

    Report: AI Impact Starts with Strong Data Foundation

    High-impact AI implementations are more likely to treat data architecture, governance, and operationalization as strategic requirements, according to TDWI's 2026 Blueprint report.

  • Abstract background with digital shield made of data particles glowing blue blocking against cyber attacks

    Report: AI Attacks Push Organizations Toward Autonomous Cybersecurity Defense

    Artificial intelligence is raising the stakes of cyber conflict as attackers use the technology to accelerate reconnaissance, uncover vulnerabilities, and launch attacks faster than many security teams can respond.