Arkansas State University-Newport (ASU-Newport) has announced the launch of a new Associate of Applied Science degree in Automation and Electrical Technology, set to begin this fall on its Jonesboro campus. The program is designed to address the increasing need for skilled workers in advanced manufacturing, energy production, and food processing industries across Arkansas.
The degree will focus on equipping students with technical skills to install, program, troubleshoot, and maintain the automated equipment critical for modern industrial facilities. According to ASU-Newport Interim Chancellor Ike Wheeler, the program aligns with the university’s broader mission to deliver workforce-driven education and meet the growing demands of regional employers.
“Automation is transforming manufacturing across Arkansas, and this program will give students the technical skills and hands-on experience they need to pursue the career opportunities being created by that growth,” Wheeler explained.
The curriculum will combine classroom learning with hands-on laboratory training on industry-standard equipment. Students will study areas such as electrical schematics, industrial control systems, programmable logic controllers, motor controls, instrumentation, and computer-based industrial networks. The program will also emphasize the interplay among electrical, mechanical, and computer-based systems in automated environments, training students to diagnose and repair equipment issues effectively.
Michael Nowlin, who now serves as dean of ASU-Newport’s newly created Division of Electrical Technologies and Advanced Manufacturing, emphasized the practical, career-focused objective of the program. “This program is designed around the real equipment, systems, and challenges students will encounter in the workplace,” Nowlin said. “Students will not simply learn how automated technology works. They will learn how to install it, program it, maintain it, and determine what went wrong when a system stops operating as it should.”
The new division will support the implementation of the Automation and Electrical Technology program and play a strategic role in fostering partnerships between the university and area employers. The division will also help ASU-Newport to adapt to emerging workforce needs in Arkansas.
“Creating this division allows ASU-Newport to build on its technical education programs and develop additional opportunities in fields that are essential to the future of Arkansas industry,” Wheeler noted. “It is an investment in our students, our employers, and the economic strength of the communities we serve.”
Graduates of the program will be prepared to work in a variety of industries, including food processing, durable goods manufacturing, and consumer goods production. Nowlin pointed out that, as manufacturers in Arkansas increasingly rely on automation to enhance productivity, safety, and product quality, the need for technicians with comprehensive systems knowledge will only continue to rise.
“Employers need technicians who can understand an entire system rather than focus on only one component,” Nowlin added. “Our students will learn how to analyze problems, identify the source of a failure, and make the repairs needed to restore operations safely and efficiently.”
The creation of the Automation and Electrical Technology program aims to address both current and future gaps in the labor market, preparing its graduates to step into high-demand, high-paying technical roles across the state.