Austin Community College

What you'll study

The program broadens practical and managerial manufacturing knowledge. Course topics and emphases described by the program include:

• automation and production systems
• industrial safety
• quality management and continuous improvement
• manufacturing management and operations
• advanced manufacturing technologies relevant to semiconductors, including robotics, machine learning and electronics

Entry requirements

Applicants must hold an eligible AAS or AS in engineering (ACC provides a list of degree plans that feed directly into the BATMET) and meet application criteria. Key requirements from the program page:

• complete the ACC admissions process (returning ACC students should confirm records)
• have successfully completed college algebra or a higher-level math course
• minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale for all college coursework
• submit a letter of intent explaining the application
• provide one letter of recommendation from faculty or an employer
• include a professional resume
• send the BATMET application as a combined PDF with the supporting documents and college transcript to the department website

Additional procedural and scheduling notes the program states: applicants are accepted in the spring for fall enrollment only; prerequisites may be in progress at application but must be finished before fall enrollment; upper-division courses run once per year; part-time study is possible; some in-person classes are required; students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses.

Career prospects

The program positions graduates for roles in Central Texas’ sizable manufacturing sector. The page highlights strong regional demand for skilled technical professionals across more than 17,000 manufacturing companies in Texas and cites major local manufacturers such as Applied Materials, Samsung and Freescale. Typical employer areas would include semiconductor and advanced manufacturing firms, production supervision, quality and continuous improvement teams, and roles focused on automation and industrial operations.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

ACC promotes the BATMET as an affordable pathway to a bachelor’s degree, noting the ability to stack the degree on an existing associate and to apply up to half of the required 120 credits from an eligible associate credential. The program page also refers to ACC’s generally low tuition as a cost advantage and describes stackable certificates and associate degrees as stepping stones that can reduce time and cost to the bachelor.