Utah State University Moab Celebrates 2019 Graduating Class

Moab, Utah - Twenty-seven students will graduate from Utah State University (USU) Moab in April earning master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees, as well career training certificates. This year’s number of graduates increased from the previous year, continuing the upward trend of students graduating from USU Moab. Nine students from the Arches Education Center will also be receiving their GED as part of the commencement ceremonies.

“This is one of the biggest graduating classes we’ve had at USU Moab, and our team couldn’t be more thrilled for these students and for what this means to our community,” said Dr. Lianna Etchberger, USU Moab associate vice president. “We’re grateful to have local students choosing to take classes with us and working hard to earn a credential or degree. They should be proud of their accomplishments and excited to put their skills and knowledge to work making Moab better for everyone.”

Four students will be awarded master’s degrees in the areas of career & technical education, communicative disorders & deaf education, higher education & instructional leadership, and natural resources. Five students will be awarded bachelor’s degrees in elementary education, business and marketing, English, and two in recreation resource management. These degrees are among the most popular at USU-Moab and provide trained and qualified graduates in needed workforce areas.

In the health professions and nursing program, seven students are completing their Practical Nursing (PN) certificate, three are completing their nursing degree to become registered nurses, and one is completing their medical assisting certificate. USU Moab’s focus on building these programs in recent years has proved beneficial to both the students and community, with many going on to work in the healthcare field in Moab.

For several years, local scholarship donors have helped many USU Moab students achieve their academic goals. Businesses, families, and individuals contributed to these scholarships that go directly to USU Moab students. Five students from this year’s graduating class received financial support over the previous school year from local scholarship donations.

USU Moab offers five associate degrees, 24 bachelor’s degrees, 25 master’s degrees, one doctorate degree, and 22 certificates. The number of programs available at USU Moab continues to grow. New programs are continuously reviewed by USU to be added to the statewide system of campuses. Two years ago, the Master of Public Health program started, and the first students in that program are graduating this semester. Recently, USU proposed impactful changes to its certificate and career and technical education (CTE) programs, making them much more affordable and accessible to USU Moab students. New CTE programs like welding are being added to USU Moab’s options. The future of post-secondary education in Grand County is looking bright.