Advancing from an associate’s to a bachelor’s degree program will now be much easier under a new Dual Admissions Agreement signed by Georgian Court University (GCU) and Ocean County College (OCC).
The agreement takes effect during the fall 2024 semester and offers OCC students the opportunity to apply for early admission, receive additional course counseling from GCU, and get support to ensure seamless entry into specific bachelor’s degree programs.
“This new agreement advances to the next level a decades-long relationship between our institutions to foster even greater success for OCC students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree at Georgian Court,” said Joseph R. Marbach, Ph.D., President of Georgian Court. “We are pleased to work with OCC to better prepare students to meet the requirements for their intended major, and, in turn, increase the likelihood for students to complete the bachelor’s degree program in two years.”
“Ocean County College is delighted to partner with Georgian Court University to create new opportunities for our students and build pathways that will help them continue their education. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to student success and to our community,” said Dr. Pamela Monaco, President of Ocean County College. She added, “Together, we can make a meaningful impact on students’ lives by empowering them to move forward with confidence and to achieve their academic and career goals.”
Students can choose from dozens of majors offered through GCU’s three schools: the School of Arts, Sciences & Education; the School of Business & Digital Media; and the Hackensack Meridian Health School of Nursing & Wellness at GCU.
OCC students are encouraged to apply for dual admission any time within their first 30 credit hours, but may apply any time prior to their last semester at OCC. Once accepted, students will have a reserved seat at GCU and be able to connect early with a GCU admissions counselor for guidance to select classes that align with general education and pre-requisite requirements for their chosen bachelor’s degree program. Additional admissions criteria are required for students majoring in education, nursing, or dance.
Students can transfer up to 75 credits from OCC to GCU, and the application fee is waived. Dual admissions students will also be advised about scholarships and financial aid to assist with affordability. On average, 99% of students who transfer to GCU receive scholarships.
“I think the new program will be really good for OCC students and give them a head start to make sure they know what classes they need so they can go right into their major at GCU,” said OCC graduate Alyssa Almerigotti of Jackson, N.J., who earned an A.A. in Liberal Arts and is completing her last semester at GCU working towards a bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education. “Transferring to GCU was pretty easy, but since I enrolled after I graduated from OCC there were some extra classes that were required that I didn’t have, and some extra credits that didn’t count toward GCU’s degree requirements. If this program was available then, I would have been able to graduate from GCU earlier.”
Almerigotti said both OCC and GCU were very supportive throughout the transfer process and believes this dual admissions program will make the entire process a “whole lot easier” for students to navigate successfully.
Georgian Court has consistently been named to the Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Honor Roll which means it is one of just 123 colleges or universities recognized nationally as “transfer friendly” because it provides a supportive, smooth transition and proven outcomes.
This academic year 189 new transfer students have enrolled at Georgian Court from community colleges, including 29 from OCC this fall. Over the past five years, 172 OCC students transferred to GCU, which is the second largest source of community college transfer students for GCU.
Under the agreement, Georgian Court will continue to participate in the annual OCC Transfer Fair, and OCC will provide special meeting space on campus for GCU academic, admissions and financial aid advisors to meet with OCC students interested in the dual admissions program.
For more information about the dual admissions program, visit https://georgian.edu/occ/ or contact GCU’s Office of Admissions at [email protected] or 732-987-2700.
