WPI signs guaranteed admission agreement with QCC

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Image I Courtesy Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Unity Hall

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Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester have reached a deal where QCC students will now be offered guaranteed admission to WPI upon meeting program requirements.

With more than 400 students having transferred from QCC to WPI since 1989, the new agreement aims at increasing transfer accessibility, particularly for those looking to enter STEM fields upon completion of their bachelor’s degree, according to an April 22 joint press release from the Worcester institutions.

“WPI has always been a strategic partner with QCC and through this new agreement, our two institutions stand in commitment that higher education for all can be a reality. Furthermore, this agreement demonstrates that there can be access for talented community college students, particularly those from first-generation and minority backgrounds to selective institutions like WPI,” QCC President Luis Pedraja said in the release. “This is an important day for QCC and WPI, as well as our region.”

In order to qualify for guaranteed admission, QCC students must have earned an associate degree with at least a 3.3 GPA and have completed a college-level precalculus or calculus I course and a college-level laboratory science course. For those who have not yet completed their associate degree but wish to transfer to a WPI bachelor’s program, students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and have completed the required coursework.

"Deepening our ties with community colleges is vital as they serve as the gateway to higher education for numerous students," WPI President Grace Wang said in the release. "By establishing pathways that reduce barriers and offer built-in support, we make obtaining a four-year degree more accessible for QCC students. Moreover, the strategic partnership between QCC and WPI will help meet today’s workforce demands and foster regional economic growth."

Once admitted, students will be afforded access to a designated advisor through WPI’s Academic Advising Office and a staff liaison in the Office of Undergraduate Studies. Transfer students will be required to take a semester-long transfer transition program and will receive a tuition waiver for one course taken in each of the two summers they attend the university.

WPI on Friday announced a similar guaranteed admission program with Manchester Community College of New Hampshire.

Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.