For the City Times

Provide seamless paths to affordable bachelor’s degrees

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Students at Mid-State Technical College now have more options for a flexible and affordable path to a bachelor’s degree, thanks to two new transfer agreements between Mid-State and University of Wisconsin-Stout.

The agreements allow for students completing an associate degree in Gerontology or Health & Wellness programs at Mid-State to transfer directly to the bachelor of science in Development & Family Studies program at UW-Stout. Students graduating from the Mid-State’s Gerontology program will enter UW-Stout with 51 credits, while graduates from the Health & Wellness program will enter with 49 credits, both just shy of junior status. After transferring they will be able to complete their programs at UW-Stout entirely online or face-to-face.

“I’m thrilled that we were able to partner with UW-Stout to make these new transfer opportunities a reality for our students,” said Deb Clarke, an associate dean of Mid-State’s Service & Health programs. “The agreements provide a clear educational path for our graduates to pursue a bachelor’s degree, with less wasted time and credits. As a result, they can move into their in-demand careers faster, with less cost and debt.”

UW-Stout’s efforts to develop the agreements were led by Dr. Amanda Barnett, assistant professor and program director, and Dr. Sam Zaid, online program director, both in the Human Development and Family Studies department. “The purpose of a transfer agreement is to create a relationship that helps students easily access the next step of their education,” said Barnett.

“We’re both excited to see this connection between Mid-State and UW-Stout so that our mutual students can achieve their personal and professional goals,” added Zaid.

The two new transfer agreements go into effect immediately and bring the number of agreements between Mid-State and four-year colleges to 89. For more information about Mid-State’s transfer opportunities, visitwww.mstc.edu/transfer.