PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will sign an articulation agreement with Berkshire Community College (BCC) to benefit students who earn an associate’s degree in Health Sciences, Community Health option at BCC and wish to continue their studies at MCLA to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health Education. This signing will take place on Tuesday, November 6, at 1:00 p.m. in the General Bartlett room at BCC’s main campus in Pittsfield.
Community Health Education is the study of how to improve health disparities among specific populations via education and health promotion. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the outlook for community health educators and workers is positive, with a 16 percent increase in employment over a 10-year span.
Students from BCC who have earned an associate’s degree in Health Sciences, Community Health option will be guaranteed various privileges that allow for a seamless transition from BCC to MCLA. Through this coordinated program of study at both institutions, students may obtain an associate’s degree and a bachelor’s degree.
MCLA President James F. Birge, Ph.D., said he is excited that MCLA once again will offer an opportunity for BCC students to continue their studies at the College.
“This new agreement with BCC provides a clear path for qualified students to complete their bachelor’s degree in just two additional years,” Birge said. “Our new Community Health Education major addresses a growing demand for health care educators, both locally and nationwide. BCC does a great job to prepare its graduates for coursework at MCLA, and we look forward to serving this new group of students.”
BCC President Ellen Kennedy agreed, noting the many articulation agreements BCC and MCLA share: “We continue to recognize MCLA as an immediate and integral partner for our students at BCC and for Berkshire County overall. The more junior-status guarantees we work through offering for our students to transfer seamlessly to four-year schools, especially ones in our own back yard, the more successful our students will be.”
Kennedy continued: “There are at least ten other articulation agreements already signed between BCC and MCLA, including for junior level status in programs like Biological Science, Early Childhood and Elementary Education, Computer Science, Fine and Performing Arts, and more.”
BCC students with a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade-point average who have earned their Associate of Science degree in Health Sciences, Community Health option are guaranteed admission to the Bachelor of Arts degree in Science in Community Health Education program at MCLA. This articulation agreement also includes other privileges, including admission with junior status based on credits, and transfer of credits according to course equivalency guides.