Students Earn Accelerated Bachelor's Degrees on Marple Campus Through Special Partnership With Albright College
(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA, March 30, 2012)—Thanks to a special partnership between Delaware County Community College and Albright College, students can earn an accelerated bachelor’s degree while attending class one night a week at Delaware County’s Marple Campus. Since 2009, Albright’s Accelerated Degree Completion Program has helped many students in Delaware and Chester Counties make their educational dreams a reality.
“This has truly been one of the best experiences for me,” says John Gallagher of Downingtown. “With Albright’s different way of teaching, one night a week format, and having the road map laid out for me, I could not think of a better option for someone graduating from Delaware County Community College and looking to take that next step in their education.”
The two-year, one-night-per-week program, which is the first of its kind in Eastern Pennsylvania, is conducted cohort style, with students beginning at the same time and continuing on together through to degree completion. Cohort-based models create a built-in support system and allow students to collaborate to reach their common goal. Students can earn bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business administration, crime and justice, information systems, information systems and management, and organizational behavior/psychology.
“Students like the model of our program, because classroom interaction between students and their instructors is such an important component,” says Kevin Ezzell, Interim Director of Accelerated Degree Programs at Albright, noting that the success of Albright’s formalized cohort program was recently chronicled in The Huffington Post.
“As I progressed through the program, I found it beneficial being with the same students,” says Janet Kennedy of Brookhaven. “We got to know each other and how everyone worked.”
“The cohort style was fantastic,” Gallagher agrees. “Being with a small group of students, we were all able to learn the material better and feel more connected to the teacher and the group throughout the two years.”
As the first member of his family to earn both an associate and bachelor’s degree, Gallagher says Albright’s program has forever changed him. After earning an associate degree in Business Management from Delaware County Community College, he needed a bachelor’s program that would accommodate his busy lifestyle and full-time work schedule. When he discovered that Albright’s program was offered at a campus he was already familiar with and that he’d receive a $2,500 scholarship, he knew he’d found his ticket to earning a bachelor’s degree. In February, Gallagher, Kennedy and 11 of their peers accomplished their goal, graduating as members of the first business cohort.
Albright’s program isn’t exclusively offered to Delaware County Community College students, but those who are, like Kennedy and Gallagher, receive added benefits, including a scholarship ranging from $2,500 to $3,200. They can also transfer up to 78 credits into the program, making it even more affordable.
Advantages for all students include small class sizes and a fixed-rate, inclusive tuition rate that covers textbooks. The curriculum is the same as the one taught at the main campus in Reading and courses are led by Albright professors. Enrollment advisors are available to work one-on-one with students, and the program is considered full time by federal financial aid standards, allowing qualified students to receive aid.
“Delaware County Community College and Albright have made my dream path a reality,” Gallagher adds. In May, his academic journey continues at the University of Scranton where he’ll pursue a Master of Business Administration.
