Hinds Community College and Mississippi State University have formalized a partnership for students enrolled in technical education programs that will enable them to transfer all credits to the university to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions sets guidelines to complete MSU’s new Bachelor of Applied Science program, which clears a new pathway to advanced degrees for students in career and technical education. The two institutions are already in sync on academic programs.
“The idea of transferring technical credits toward a baccalaureate degree is unique and shows the kind of flexibility Mississippi State University has,” Hinds President Dr. Clyde Muse said. “It’s due to the great work of the people of both Hinds and Mississippi State University to put this together.”
The agreement was finalized during a virtual signing ceremony held Thursday. Muse and MSU president Dr. Mark Keenum were located at their campuses in Raymond and Starkville and talked via video conference.
“We’ve had a number of these types of memorandums with Mississippi State, but in all these years we’ve never had a virtual signing,” Muse said.
Effective Jan. 1, 2020, the agreement allows for a directory of acceptable technical courses delivered at Hinds that will apply to the new bachelor’s program at MSU. An adviser is to be housed at Hinds’ Raymond Campus and will be employed jointly by the two institutions. Also, Hinds and the university’s Meridian Campus will work together to provide classroom space to deliver synchronous online courses.
“For the first time ever in the state of Mississippi, one of our IHL institutions can now accept your graduates and accept all 60 of their hours – with 45 of those being technical hours – and apply them toward a bachelor’s degree,” Keenum said during the ceremony.
MSU launched its Bachelor of Applied Science program in August, significantly expanding the university’s acceptance of technical credit from community colleges and military training. It is intended to serve the needs of adults who have completed a technical associate’s degree program through a community college or the military and need additional education to advance their careers.
For more on the Bachelor of Applied Science program, visit https://www.msstate.edu/students/bachelor-of-applied-science.