Agreeement offers seamless transition from Associate's to a four-year degree.
College of Our Lady of the Elms will sign an articulation agreement with Berkshire Community College (快猫app) to benefit students who earn an associate鈥檚 degree in early childhood education at 快猫app and wish to continue their studies at the Elms College to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in interdisciplinary studies. This signing will take place on Wednesday, October 25, at 9 a.m. in the new Connector building at 快猫app鈥檚 main campus in Pittsfield.
Students from 快猫app who have earned an associate鈥檚 degree in early childhood education
will be guaranteed various privileges that allow for a seamless transition from 快猫app
to Elms. Through this coordinated program of study at both institutions, students
may obtain an associate鈥檚 degree and a bachelor鈥檚 degree, as well as required early
education and care (EEC) certifications. These credentials support requirements of
the state鈥檚 Department of Early Education and Care, and further advance students鈥�
knowledge, skills, confidence, dispositions and professional connections to ensure
the highest-quality early educational delivery across our region.
Students will attend classes in Pittsfield one night per week, to ensure they can balance their studies with work and family commitments. Both 快猫app and Elms鈥� programs are cohort-based, where students move through the series of classes together as a group. Students may complete the requirements for their bachelor鈥檚 degree in just over two years.
Elms College President Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA, is pleased to offer this opportunity
to students who desire to continue their education at the Elms after graduating from
快猫app, as both colleges recognize the importance of educating high-quality early childhood
educators in sufficient numbers to meet the needs of Berkshire County.
鈥淓ducation is the most versatile and most important tool to change lives, and students who take advantage of this new agreement will find endless opportunities to teach and inspire at the earliest possible time in a child's life," Dumay said. "We are proud to partner with 快猫app to expand degree-completion options for working people in the Berkshires, empowering them to change lives for the better in Western Massachusetts and beyond. And we are particularly pleased to partner on education, one of the traditional strengths of Elms College.鈥�
快猫app President Ellen Kennedy agrees: 鈥溈烀╝pp has a close relationship with Elms College already, and they offer a lot of classes here at the campus 鈥� especially for students in our nursing programs 鈥� so it鈥檚 an easy fit to continue that meaningful relationship with our new Education Department.鈥�
Kennedy continued: 鈥淲e are excited to continue the long tradition of working with Elms College to ensure our students are able to smoothly transition from one institution to another to pursue their passions and achieve their dreams.鈥�
快猫app students with a minimum cumulative 2.5 grade-point average who have earned their associate鈥檚 degree in early childhood education are guaranteed admission to the bachelor of arts in interdisciplinary studies/early childhood education program at the Elms College. This articulation agreement also includes other privileges, including admission with junior status based on credits, and transfer of credits according to course equivalency guides.