Technical training grads can get an accelerated bachelor of science degree
Neumann University Photo: Scott Beadenkopf (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
George Brown College (GBC) and Neumann University in Philadelphia are now offering distance-education graduates from technical training programs at GBC, the opportunity to pursue further studies towards a bachelor of science (B.Sc.) degree at Neumann.
“George Brown College and Neumann University share a deep commitment to helping adults finish their college educations,” said Jilian Donnelly, Neumann University’s director of virtual learning via email. “This agreement allows George Brown to offer alternative pathways to its graduates, and allow Neumann to expand its enrolment with another unique population of adult learners.”
Providing a direct pathway for graduates of the distance education-based technical training programs, according to GBC’s technical training website, students who have completed their electronics engineering technician diploma can continue on into Neumann University’s accelerated B.Sc. degree program.
This collaboration will allow GBC graduates to complete a degree and students at both schools will benefit according to Donnelly, saying “typically, graduates of technical programs, such as those offered by George Brown College, experience difficulty applying their degrees toward a baccalaureate program that will honour all of the hard work, and cache of credits, that they bring with them.”
“It provides a very attractive university pathway for our electronics and PLC students to pursue a B.Sc. degree. Many students have this goal in mind right from the beginning of their search for higher education training,” said Scott Duncan, manager of business development at GBC. “The college benefits by the fact that we can attract more students into our programs, based on the advantage that having the pathway provides us over other college’s competing options.”
All courses for this pathway to a degree are offered online for GBC students as well as Neumann students, and allow students to balance their schedules while earning their degree.
With Neumann being specialized in “assisting adults with unique learning backgrounds for 40 years,” said Donnelly, the university “has options that can utilize the prior learning experiences of these learners and open the door for degree completion.”
The new B.Sc. degree is officially available to technical training program graduates, and as Duncan says, “this agreement is definitely intended to be long-term,” offering both current and future students the same higher-learning opportunity.
If students require more information, they can contact Angelo Vouloukos at 416-415-5000 extension 4726 or avoulouk@georgebrown.ca.
