Missouri Innovation Campus Expanding Student Opportunities Through New Programs

By Janice Phelan, January 23, 2019

Students participating in the Missouri Innovation Campus have more opportunities to earn a bachelor’s degree in a high-wage, in-demand field while significantly reducing the time to graduate. The recognized program, located in the state-of-the-art Lee’s Summit campus, added a bioinformatics program this school year and will launch software engineering next year.

The Missouri Innovation Campus (MIC) is a partnership involving the University of Central Missouri (UCM), the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, Metropolitan Community College and more than 50 industry-leading corporate partners. Through the MIC, students earn a bachelor’s degree from UCM just two years after high school, reduce student debt and gain real-world experience through three-year, paid internships with corporate partners.

Students participating in the new programs, as well as other MIC programs, begin their journey by enrolling in coursework at Summit Technology Academy, a high-school program located within the Missouri Innovation Campus building and operated by the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District.

Bioinformatics is a growing field with entry-level salaries ranging from $55,000 to $65,000 annually. The program at the Missouri Innovation Campus is considered unique within this area.

By analyzing the data generated within the healthcare field, bioinformatics professionals work to identify trends in patient treatment and research, ultimately improving patient outcomes and health.

“This program is for students who have a desire to use bioscience and computer science skills together,” said Stan Elliott, MIC director. “Students learn to become detectives as they analyze data and look for trends.”

This spring, high-school juniors and seniors will begin enrolling in the newest program at the MIC -- software engineering. Also a high-demand, well-paying career field, students can expect to earn from $60,000 to $70,000 annually after earning their bachelor’s degree.

The software engineering degree, offered through UCM, is accredited by ABET (Accredited Board for Engineering and Technology), a nonprofit organization ensuring that university programs meet quality standards while preparing graduates for the workforce.

“This new program provides very rigorous math and science coursework so that our students can be successful in the software engineering field,” Elliott said.

By 2019-20, the Missouri Innovation Campus program will offer six bachelor’s programs designed to reduce students’ cost and time spent in college while providing on-the-job, paid internships. In addition to bioinformatics and software engineering, MIC students have the opportunity to earn bachelor’s degrees from the University of Central Missouri in systems engineering technology, drafting and design technology, computer science and cybersecurity.