WEST WINDSOR – Mercer County Community College (MCCC) and Rutgers University have signed a new agreement that will provide opportunities for students with associate degrees to earn their bachelor’s degree from Rutgers on MCCC’s West Windsor campus.

“Today, we bring together two institutions of higher learning with very different histories, but dedicated to a common goal: making a college education more accessible,” said Dr. Patricia Donohue, president of Mercer County Community College.

Under the agreement, Rutgers University will offer bachelor’s degree programs in three majors at MCCC:  Labor and Employment Relations, Political Science, and RN to BSN in Nursing. Courses will be offered on-site on the West Windsor campus, online, and in a hybrid blend of on-site and online formats. Classes will be held in the evenings, making it more convenient to accommodate the schedules of non-traditional students.

“Rutgers is pleased to be working with Dr. Donohue and the administration of Mercer County Community College to enable their graduates and others in the surrounding

region to attain their higher education goals,” said Richard Novak, Rutgers interim vice president for continuing studies. “Rutgers’ Off Campus Programs at Mercer will give students more flexibility to balance family and work obligations while staying closer to home.”

Also participating in the ceremony was Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, Mercer County Freeholder Pat Colavita, and New Jersey State Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo.

“Mercer County Community College is important to us, and we see this partnership as being beneficial not just for the college, but for the students who take advantage of it,” Hughes said.

As an MCCC alumni, DeAngelo said the campus environment and a dedicated faculty and staff were instrumental in helping him determine a career path. The addition of this agreement with Rutgers, he said, will be a big plus for the college.

“This is an opportunity for everyone,” DeAngelo said. “The opportunity to get your degree at Mercer and go straight to Rutgers is phenomenal.”

To be considered for admission to the Rutgers program, students must hold an associate degree or 60 credits from an accredited community college or four-year institution. Candidates must meet all Rutgers admissions criteria. Students enrolled in off-campus programs are Rutgers students, and have access to all university services, such as libraries.

The partnership with Rutgers will be the fourth for Mercer, which currently hosts bachelor’s degree programs on the West Windsor campus through agreements with William Paterson University, Farleigh Dickinson University, and Felician College.

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