Metropolitan Community College (MCC) and Northwest Missouri State University will launch a pilot program in the fall saving students time and money.
The partnership will provide students with an opportunity to complete both an Associate of Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in four years or less while allowing the two institutions to develop a more seamless transfer process and remove challenges that add time and cost to degree completion.
The institutions submitted their joint proposal to the Missouri Department of Higher Education through a statewide competitive process, and the program was one of three selected by the state.
“This is an innovative enrollment approach that will emphasize profession-based learning at a reduced cost and shortened timeline, getting students into the workforce more quickly and with a greater level of academic and practical experience,” Northwest Provost Dr. Timothy Mottet said.
Students applying to the pilot program must meet Northwest’s admissions requirements. Those who do not will be tentatively accepted and allowed to enroll in specified courses within their pathway until they complete at least 24 hours of coursework from MCC and Northwest with a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade-point average. Students will be automatically granted full admission to Northwest after meeting all requirements.
Students will enroll in one of four degree programs in education (elementary, special education, early childhood), business management, communication and public relations, or applied health science in preparation for professional careers in one of those fields.
MCC and Northwest will work together to provide students a seamless application process without additional fees, and financial aid will be managed between the two institutions.
If the pilot is successful, MCC and Northwest will seek to expand the program to include more profession-based academic majors that may be completed in an accelerated format. The institutions plan to build on the program and continue fostering seamless transfer and maximizing dual credit with area high schools.
For more information about the pilot program, contact Fran Padow, MCC director of educational services, at (816) 604-1081 or Terry Barmann, director of Northwest-Kansas City at (816) 809-2953.