UofL and ECTC launch Applied Engineering program

The J.B. Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College have partnered to introduce an undergraduate Applied Engineering degree. Beginning in the spring 2026 semester, students of select associate degrees at ECTC will be eligible upon graduation to complete the bachelor’s degree in Applied Engineering at Speed School. As the industrial landscape continues to change, this degree program aims to serve the workforce needs of the region.

“The really exciting thing about this program is our partnership with ECTC,” said Dr. Thomas Rockaway, a professor of Civil Engineering at Speed School who spearheaded the collaboration. “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.”

Through state-of-the-art facilities and labs, students will receive hands-on, applicable training that will prepare them to adapt to industry challenges. Additionally, students will have access to an Automation and Robotics focus track to gain specialized skills while completing the degree. To ensure that ECTC students joining the program are prepared with the pre-engineering fundamentals necessary for success at Speed School, there will be a comprehensive mathematics prep program for the program’s first cohort.

"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," said ECTC president Dr. Juston Pate. "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."

With evening classes and courses offered at the ECTC Blue Oval SK Training Center in Glendale, the Applied Engineering degree supports working students. Speed School’s co-op requirement in the second half of the program also provides one year of on-the-job experience.

“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,” said Dr. Emmanuel Collins, dean of Speed School. “We expect this new academic program to be the largest of its kind in the nation.”