NMCC and UMFK to Sign Agreement Easing Path to Bachelor’s Degree in Business

The University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) and Northern Maine Community College (NMCC) have entered into a unique agreement that will focus on providing graduates of NMCC in technical, trade and allied health areas the opportunity to achieve a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management in a shortened period of time.

An agreement signing ceremony will take place on Wednesday, April 22 at 10:00 a.m. in the Electrical Construction Lab, room 120 of the Christie Complex at NMCC.

This agreement recognizes that many graduates of NMCC with Associate of Applied Science Degrees will often start, operate, and manage their own businesses. For example, graduates in the field of Building Construction Technology become carpenters and contractors and may start their own businesses. This agreement provides a pathway for such graduates to continue their studies and achieve a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from UMFK. In addition to the transfer of general education course requirements, the key component of this agreement facilitates the transfer of upper-level technical, trade and allied health courses to UMFK as a replacement for the required concentration in the B.S. in Business Management degree, which usually takes students up to a year to complete; thus reducing the time it takes to attain a Bachelor’s degree and saving the student a significant amount of money. Students in the program will also have the opportunity to complete their required business internship in their area of concentration.

The NMCC Associate of Applied Science Degrees included in this agreement are as follows.

 Automotive Collision Repair
 Automotive Technology
 Building Construction Technology
 Networking Technology & Cybersecurity
 Diesel Hydraulics
 Early Childhood Education
 Electrical Construction and Maintenance
 Emergency Medical Services
 Medical Assisting
 Plumbing and Heating
 Computer Numerical Control (CNC)
 Wind Power Technology

“This initiative emphasizes the academic strength of the technical degrees at NMCC, and it is a major step in fulfilling UMFK’s mission as “the rural university” by offering a seamless path to a BS in Business Management for Maine citizens needing to further their technical careers,” states Dr. Roger A. Roy, UMFK Professor of Business and Chair of the Professional Management Division.

NMCC and UMFK have a number of other agreements in place including those that currently allow transferability for students with Associate’s degrees in liberal studies and nursing to attain a Bachelor’s degree.

“NMCC is pleased to be able to make one more important transfer opportunity available for our students,” explains Dr. Dottie Martin, NMCC Academic Dean. “We appreciate the partnership with UMFK which shares our vision of maximizing the transfer of credits, simplifying the process of working toward a bachelor’s degree and building a seamless program that will ultimately strengthen the local economy.”

UMFK’s Dean of Community Education, Scott Voisine states, “This agreement is a unique blend of technical, trade and allied health education with liberal arts and business education. Employers, both locally and nationally, are seeking employees with the specialized training necessary to meet the needs of the modern workforce, but at the same time, they want individuals with a strong acumen in business and the ability to communicate and work effectively with others. This blend of the Associate of Applied Science Degree and the Bachelors of Science in Business Management prepares individuals for those workforce needs.”

Individuals participating in the signing ceremony include:

Tim Crowley, President of NMCC
Dr. Dottie Martin, Academic Dean, NMCC
Wilson G. Hess, President, UMFK
Robert M. Dixon, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, UMFK
Roger A. Roy, Chair, Professional Management Division, UMFK

The University of Maine at Fort Kent has become a model of a “rural university” that creates pathways to educational opportunity and professional success for rural communities and people by nurturing and engaging students to become diverse learners and aspiring professionals.

Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle offers more than 30 associate degree and certificate-level programs that provide specific job skills that help students enter the workforce or prepare students to transfer to a four-year college to complete a bachelor’s degree.