Gateway Community College (GCC) today signed an agreement with Albertus Magnus College that will ensure GCC graduates can transfer to Albertus Magnus to earn a bachelor’s degree without losing any credits in the process.

This formal “articulation” agreement will facilitate the transfer of all credits associated with any GCC associate of arts or associate of science degree to any Albertus Magnus bachelor degree program in its Traditional Day College, its School of Evening and Graduate Programs or its School of New Dimensions.

Without this kind of articulation agreement, students who want to transfer from one college to another often lose some number of transfer credits that aren’t recognized by the accepting institution.

Albertus Magnus also announced that merit-based scholarships would be available to GCC graduates who transfer. Students who graduate with at least a 3.0 grade-point average (GPA) and transfer into Albertus Magnus College's Traditional Day College are eligible for $6,000 a year. Students who graduate with at least a 3.2 GPA are eligible for $8,000 a year. Students transferring into Albertus Magnus College's School of Evening and Graduate Programs or its School of New Dimensions are eligible for discounted tuition.

"The students who come to Albertus from Gateway are academically well-prepared and they are committed to continuing their post-secondary education,” said Albertus Magnus College President Dr. Julia M. McNamara. “We are pleased to help them attain their educational goals."

GCC President Dr. Dorsey L. Kendrick said the agreement with Albertus Magnus formalizes what has been a long-standing, mutually beneficial relationship between two New Haven institutions that share a strong commitment to giving students the tools they need to succeed in school and in life. “We know that a great number of Gateway graduates have chosen to continue their education at Albertus Magnus,” Kendrick said. “We expect that to continue and want to do everything we can to make that transition as seamless as possible.”

Albertus Magnus has three schools designed to meet the diverse needs of those seeking college degrees. Its Traditional Day College offers bachelor degrees in the arts, science and fine arts, as well as master degrees in art therapy, arts in leadership, arts in liberal studies, fine arts in creative writing, management, business administration and education.

Its School of Evening and Graduate Programs is offered to full- and part-time students on its New Haven campus with flexible scheduling and a blended and online course delivery for more than 14 undergraduate majors and graduate degrees, including a fully blended MBA program.

Its School of New Dimensions is offered to full-time students, one course at a time in New Haven, East Hartford, Bridgeport and Enfield with an accelerated, team-based approach and on-ground and blended course delivery for undergraduate and graduate degrees in business and education, including a fully online MBA program.

Nearly 10 percent of applicants for the 2011 bachelor of science degree in business management in the School of New Dimensions previously attended GCC. 

“We’ve always had a very close relationship with Gateway and its graduates who enroll here,” said Dr. John Donohue, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Albertus Magnus. “This agreement, which covers all three of our schools, will provide Gateway graduates with enhanced access to all of the bachelor degree programs we offer.”

GCC has a number of articulation agreements in place with institutions of higher learning throughout the state. Its agreements with the University of New Haven and the University of Bridgeport apply to any associate degree in arts or sciences. Its agreements with Connecticut’s four state universities are limited to programs at GCC with 31 general education credits. And its agreement with the University of Connecticut is limited to its associate degree in liberal arts and sciences.