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Ferris State University Applied Sciences Degree
About Ferris State University
Clock TowerFerris State University has more than 14,000 students enrolled in classes on its main campus in Big Rapids, 19 off-campus sites throughout Michigan and at Ferris’ Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids. By offering people what they want, when and where they need it, Ferris is Michigan’s “statewide university,” with a transfer rate higher than any other university in Michigan, facilitated by the ease of “laddering” from a two-year to a four-year degree.
» Mission, Core Values & Vision
Ferris is distinguished by its strong heritage of opportunity and career-oriented approach to education where theory meets practice, along with unique degrees that are not available at other universities in the state, region or nation. More than 180 programs, ranging from associate to doctoral degrees, are offered through eight degree-granting colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Services, Engineering Technology, Health Professions, Kendall College of Art and Design, Michigan College of Optometry, and Pharmacy.
The majority of Ferris’ offerings are tailored with a specific occupation in mind and align directly with many occupations that are expected to experience growth across the country through 2016. The University has at least 140 degrees that align directly with in-demand occupations in the categories of business, finance and management; administrative and clerical; computer science and engineering; social service; education and training; health care practitioners; health care technology and support; protective service; and construction, production and repair.
Ferris has the fewest number of large classes among Michigan’s 15 public universities, with only 1 percent of classes having more than 50 students. This allows for more direct contact with faculty, more hands-on learning and experimentation and greater student engagement. More than 50 percent of Ferris classes have fewer than 20 students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 16-to-1. Full-time tenure-track faculty with experience in their respective fields teach the majority of classes, providing real-world relevancy to the learning environment. Advisory boards also contribute to ensuring current and relevant curriculum is taught which produces graduates with hands-on skills that allow them to be productive employees from the first day of employment.
More than any institution in the state, Ferris State has reached out to Michigan community colleges creating partnerships on 19 campuses and expanding online offerings. Ferris enrolls the largest number of off-campus students at the Applied Technology Center through its partnership with Grand Rapids Community College.
The completion of a new facility to house Ferris’ Michigan College of Optometry, new student housing, classroom renovations and improvements to Ferris’ largest dining facility add to the vibrancy of the University’s 880-acre campus, which already boasts FLITE, a state-of-the-art library; the Granger Center, a building with visible mechanical systems, such as geothermal heating and cooling, for HVACR students; and the National Elastomer Center, a specialized center for studying plastics and rubber technology.
Ferris is the only university in Michigan named after its founders, Woodbridge Nathan Ferris (two-term Michigan governor and U.S. senator) and Helen Gillespie Ferris. It was founded in 1884 as the privately-owned Big Rapids Industrial School and provided opportunity for people who might otherwise have become lumberjacks, farm laborers and food processing workers, instead offering paths to lives of greater possibility. Ferris did not become a state institution until 1950, undergoing several name changes until becoming Ferris State University in 1987. The Ferris philosophy of a practical, hands-on approach to education that enables students to learn practical skills for new jobs in a changing world still resonates today.
School of the Built Environment
HVACR is dedicated to bringing efficiency to the built environment. We seek to understand systems, to foster the intelligent use of collaborative resources and to design sustainable HVACR systems. We provide leadership in the field by focusing on innovation, seeking advances in technologies by taking a systems perspective.
Ferris is one of only two institutions in the United States to offer a Bachelor of Science in HVACR. In keeping with the philosophy of Ferris, the HVACR degrees provide a balance of theory and application. This includes a solid foundation grounded in the principles of HVACR combined with extensive laboratory experience.
The Associate in Applied Science in HVACR Technology degree prepares students to enter the workforce as an HVACR technician. Students develop skills and learn about fabrication and joining techniques, basic refrigeration, heating, air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, electrical fundamentals, HVACR controls, and design of HVACR systems.
The Bachelor of Science in HVACR Engineering Technology degree is a continuation of the Associate in Applied Science in HVACR Technology degree. Energy efficiency is a central theme for the programs here. Students learn to optimize system performance by learning about:
Load calculations to determine building heating and cooling needs,
System analysis that concentrates on the selection of appropriate options,
Design principles and processes,
Controls to operate mechanical systems to a specified sequence of operation,
Commissioning to ensure that mechanical systems are operating at peak efficiency,
Energy audits and analysis.
Students develop an understanding of the potential their work has on reducing their impact on the environment and acknowledging their role in reducing global warming.
Why Choose HVACR Technology?
The Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) Technology program provides a balance of theory and application, in keeping with the philosophy of Ferris State University. This includes a solid foundation of the principles of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration combined with extensive laboratory experience.
While in the lab, students learn to test, systematically troubleshoot, repair and maintain electrical and mechanical HVACR systems and components. Residential and light commercial heating, ventilating and air conditioning along with food preservation refrigeration are the main focus of the program.
An associate degree in this program will transfer into nearly 20 other Ferris bachelor of science degree programs, including business administration, computer information systems, television production and HVACR engineering technology.