University of Maine at Presque Isle, Husson sign agreement

Getting a master’s degree just got easier for criminal justice and business majors at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, following the finalization of two articulation agreements between UMPI and Husson University that increase transferability for UMPI students who want to continue their education in these fields at Husson.
“This is a much-anticipated signing for two important articulation programs between UMPI and Husson. These agreements will benefit our students who wish to continue to a master’s degree. They’ll be able to continue on to Husson at the Presque Isle campus,” said Ray Rice, UMPI provost and vice president for academic and student affairs.
Where a typical course of study would take four years for a bachelor’s degree and two years for a master’s degree, these “4 + 1” agreements will allow UMPI students to complete their two degrees in as little as five years.
Rice and Marie Hansen, Husson University’s College of Business dean, led the official signing of the documents on Aug. 13 at UMPI’s Campus Center. The agreements mean students can begin utilizing the process starting Sept. 1.
“This agreement allows students to pre-plan their college careers extending to a master’s degree,” said Hansen. “These two agreements create a seamless transition from an undergraduate program at UMPI to Husson, where students can fulfill goals of attaining either an MBA or master of science in criminal justice administration. The format of this agreement allows for students to accelerate completion of an undergraduate and graduate degree in as little as five years. Access to the graduate degrees through Husson University at our northern Maine location will expand the education opportunities for these students. Further, these degree pathways allow for students to be successful at both institutions.”
This is the first time UMPI and Husson have established articulation agreements and officials hope to see collaborative work that will benefit their students, and further increase transferability, in the future.
“This is the first of what we hope is a continuing partnership,” said Rice. “Our collaborative work with Husson provides our students with an efficient, cost-effective, and local way to move on to a master’s degree and achieve their higher education goals. And they can now do this with the same ease a Husson student would experience transitioning from a bachelor’s to a master’s degree.”
“The University of Maine System has made increased transferability a top priority, so we are quite pleased to serve as a partner in providing greater access to advanced degree programs to the people of Aroostook County through these agreements with Husson,” said Rice.
Hansen said the agreement not only “helps individuals but also the area.”
“It promotes economic prosperity to Presque Isle and beyond, bringing value in terms of time, money and location,” said Hansen. “To get through a master’s degree in one year is a huge savings.”
Both articulation agreements describe the course of study students need to follow at UMPI in order to complete their graduate work at Husson in a compressed time frame. Students would apply to the programs during the second semester of their junior year.
For more information about UMPI’s bachelor’s programs, visit www.umpi.edu. For more about Husson’s master’s programs, visit www.husson.edu.