Miles Community College (MCC) and Dickinson State University (DSU) have signed a “2+2” transfer articulation agreement that will allow students to complete a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education without leaving Miles City.
Students will be able to complete the first two years of their degree at MCC, earning an Associate of Arts Degree, before transferring to DSU for two years to complete a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. The latter two years of study will be delivered remotely, allowing students to remain in Miles City to complete their degree. Previously, students seeking an elementary education degree through MCC would have had to transfer to a four-year university outside of Miles City to complete the last two years of the degree.
“Dickinson State University has been providing excellent teacher education programs for more than 100 years. Today, due to technological advances, we are providing training where, when, and how students want it delivered,” said Debora Dragseth, Provost and Vice-president of Academic Affairs at Dickinson State University. “Communities in eastern Montana, like those in western North Dakota, are experiencing a severe shortage of teachers. Miles Community College has a long history of providing access to quality education and we are proud to announce our two campuses will be working in concert to resolve a pressing need.”
“This partnership helps us meet a need that we’ve heard about from our area K-12 partners for some time,” said Dr. Rita Kratky, MCC Vice President of Academic Affairs. “Our small school distrcits have individuals in their communities who want to become teachers, or young people that don’t want to leave the area to earn a teaching degree. This will help make that possible.”
Dickinson State University will pilot the delivery of three courses during the Spring 2021 semester, with the full transfer agreement set to launch in Fall 2021. The “2+2” program is open to new students, transfer students, and returning students who have completed some or all of a two-year MCC degree. Students can apply and enroll at MCC to begin their associate’s degree coursework as early as Spring or Summer 2021.
“We already have interest in this pathway from our current Education majors,” said Anne Anderson, MCC Director of Student Success and Retention and MCC Education Instructor. “We see a number of students, some already employed as paraprofessionals in area school districts, who want to complete a bachelor’s degree and become licensed teachers, but they love Miles City and eastern Montana and don’t want to move to complete their degree. This will open up a number of opportunities for our students, and for those in our smaller, neighboring communities who might want to pursue a career in education.”
The transfer partnership for Elementary Education adds to an already robust array of transfer options between the two institutions. In addition to this agreement, MCC and DSU also have transfer agreements in the fields of Business, Accounting, Agriculture, and Computer Technology Management.
For more information about the Elementary Education partnership between MCC and Dickinson State University, please contact Anne Anderson at 406.874.6151 or andersona@milescc.edu. Student interested in the program may visit the MCC website and complete the Elementary Education Pathway Inquiry Form.
