Academics
College Welcomes Students to Fall Semester
RALEIGH, N.C. (August 16, 2021) – Wake Tech welcomed more than 21,000 degree-seeking students today on the first day of the fall semester. Many are preparing for careers in healthcare, IT, and skilled trades to meet the record number of job openings in the area as the pandemic remains.
The college has resumed full operations this fall, with in-person courses as well as hybrid and fully online classes. All employees, students, and visitors are required to wear masks in indoor spaces, on all campuses and centers. Student support and resources are available on campus and online. Appointments can be made at virtualsupport.waketech.edu. Dining services have returned and food trucks are back on several campuses.
Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls greeted students at several campuses today and staff were on hand to answer questions at welcome stations.
“Despite the challenges of the lingering impacts of COVID-19, this is an exciting time for Wake Tech as we welcome students back, start new programs and open new facilities,” Dr. Ralls said. “We are defining ourselves not by the challenges that confront us but by the significant opportunities we are providing our community.”
Wake Tech has added six new programs this fall:
- Biotechnology (AAS degree)
- Building Automation (AAS degree)
- Collision Repair and Refinishing (AAS degree)
- Public Safety Administration (AAS degree)
- Teacher Preparation (AA degree)
- Teacher Preparation (AS degree)
Classes will also begin in several facilities, the Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence at Scott Northern Wake Campus, and RT-2, the second building on the college’s RTP Campus, and new welding labs on the Southern Wake Campus. The WakeWorks® Apprenticeship Center is also opening this month at the Beltline Education Center, where students in skilled trades apprenticeship programs will get hands-on training.
Employees and students will notice newly paved roads, parking lots, and a roundabout on Southern Wake Campus. As part of the Complete 540 project, work is continuing in both directions of U.S. 401 in front of campus. In addition, the section of Old McCullers Road from Advantage Way to Ten-Ten Road on Southern Wake Campus remains closed.
In addition to the traditional 16-week semester, Wake Tech is offering an opportunity to enroll every four weeks. A 12-week accelerated session starts next month, and an eight-week session starts in October. Learn more at fallforward.waketech.edu.
Wake Tech is North Carolina’s largest community college, serving more than 70,000 adults annually, with six campuses, two training centers, multiple community sites, and a comprehensive array of online learning options. Wake Tech is accredited and offers more than 200 associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates that prepare students for university transfer or immediate employment. About half of those programs can be completed totally online.
