Elizabethtown Community and Technical College partners with University of Louisville for applied engineering degree program

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and the University of Louisville’s J.B. Speed School of Engineering have partnered to offer students from select associate degree programs at ECTC the opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Applied Engineering at Speed School. The opportunity will be available beginning in the Spring 2026 semester.

According to an article on Elizabethtown Community and Technical College’s website, Dr. Juston Pate, the president of the college, was quoted as saying of the partnership, "This partnership creates a new pathway for engineering students to continue their education and advance their careers in high-demand, high-wage fields without leaving our region. This pathway is an incredible addition to the ECTC Robbins University Center as it develops a critical future workforce, supports economic development, increases bachelor's degree attainment and helps our students reach their full potential, all with a partner as renowned as the UofL J.B. Speed School of Engineering."

The partnership was spearheaded by Dr. Thomas Rockaway, who serves as a professor of Civil Engineering at Speed School. He explained the details of the arrangement, saying, “The really exciting thing about this program is our partnership with ECTC. Rather than having this program focused solely in Louisville, we are able to leverage the great work already underway at ECTC and build a true 2+2 pathway for a four-year bachelor's degree in Applied Engineering. Students can start in Elizabethtown and earn a select AAS degree in two years, and then complete two more years of academic work at UofL towards the applied engineering degree.”

The ECTC Blue Oval SK Training Center in Glendale will serve as the host of evening courses for the Applied Engineering program, paving the way for working students to be able to take part in the opportunity. Students from ECTC will take pre-engineering fundamentals like a math prep program to ensure they are ready to join the Speed School. Students will have the option to pursue the Automation and Robotics track of the program to gain specialized skills within the degree program.

Dr. Emmanuel Collins, the dean of Speed School, said, “This program is transformative and timely for our region since the increased demands of advanced manufacturing and materials handling in our regional industries require a dramatic increase in the number of engineers skilled in automation and robotics. We expect this new academic program to be the largest of its kind in the nation.”

For more information about Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, visit the school’s website.