DCTC signs blanket articulation agreement with Strayer University
Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) is proud to announce it has become the 200th college to sign an articulation agreement with Strayer University.
The agreement is a blanket articulation that supports transfer from DCTC to a related program at Strayer University. Students who choose to transfer under the articulation agreement must first complete their associate’s degree with DCTC, after which they can transfer up to 84 credits and access a generous scholarship fund.
“DCTC’s strength is providing a solid foundation for whatever pathway a student might want to take, whether that be seeking employment or continuing their education,” said DCTC Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs Dr. Kelly Murtaugh. “This agreement provides DCTC students with access to a university with a solid, 120-year reputation in an environment that – like ours – supports student success.”
Strayer’s student population also shares common ground with DCTC in that it is predominately comprised of students in their 30s who may already have families or a career requiring additional education or training. They recognize that these students have to balance a variety of responsibilities in their busy lives and offer them benefits such as credit for prior learning, online and traditional program and class offerings, on-site tutoring, financial aid counseling and more.
Strayer University’s Bloomington, Minn. Campus Director Sheila Malewska noted this alignment made the agreement a natural partnership. “As we spoke with Dr. Murtaugh and others at the college, there was a running theme that both of our institutions were focused on offering nontraditional students an opportunity they might not be able to access as easily somewhere else. Both DCTC and Strayer are committed to offering our students a high level of service and attention to help them be successful.”
One component of the agreement that DCTC students will likely find appealing is the transferability of courses from DCTC to Strayer.
“All of our bachelor’s degrees offer a 10-elective component and the chances of a single class not transferring from DCTC to Strayer are slim to none. That means a student could complete their bachelor’s degree at Strayer in as few as 12 classes,” said Malewska.
While the majority of students still choose to seek employment after completing their coursework at DCTC, an increasing number are taking advantage of articulation agreements like the one with Strayer. DCTC’s Director of Career Services Ramie Chackan has seen this first-hand.
“In the last five years, we have seen about a five percent increase in the number of students pursing transfer options. The recession certainly played a factor, but students are also more information savvy and want to explore all the options available to them.”
The DCTC faculty who are busy advising students about the next step after DCTC couldn’t agree with Chackan more. DCTC Supervisory Management Instructor Scott Gunderson helped lobby for the agreement early in the process and is pleased to see it on the menu of options for DCTC students.
“We have a lot of students who enter our programs considering one path only to realize that another option might be more appropriate for them,” said Gunderson. “Being able to present them with a variety of options for achieving their education and career goals makes my role in serving as an advisor to students much easier.”
For more information about Articulation Agreements at DCTC, contact:
- Admissions
admissions@dctc.edu
651-423-8000
