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New and Expanded Academic Agreements Bolster Access to ������ Degrees

Agreement with Atlantic Cape to Benefit Fine, Visual Arts Students

������ and Atlantic Cape Community College announced a new articulation agreement in March to benefit fine and visual arts students.

Under this partnership, Atlantic Cape graduates will have the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Visual Art, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art or Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communications degree at ������ after being admitted into the University and meeting the regular standards for admission for all New Jersey community college graduates.

������’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Michael Palladino and Atlantic Cape’s Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Josette Katz signed the agreement in the STEM Building on Atlantic Cape’s Mays Landing campus.

Atlantic Cape students will have to complete certain designated ������ program writing and course requirements. Upon graduating from Atlantic Cape, students transferring to ������ would have junior-year status as they work toward earning a bachelor’s degree.

Palladino touted the benefits of partnering with Atlantic Cape to help ensure that graduates who transfer to ������ receive the best education possible as they continue their path toward earning a bachelor’s degree.

“By partnering with Atlantic Cape Community College, we are not only providing students with a seamless pathway to earning a bachelor's degree in Visual Arts, but we are also ensuring that they receive a comprehensive education that prepares them for success in their chosen field,” he said. “This agreement will also allow more students to benefit from our outstanding faculty, who are not only accomplished scholars and artists, but they also bring a depth of passion and expertise to their teaching." 

������ Partners with Thomas Edison in Prior Learning Network

������ has joined a statewide initiative titled the New Jersey Prior Learning Assessment Network (NJ PLAN) powered by Thomas Edison State University (TESU) that helps students earn college credit for what they already know.

The two universities celebrated the partnership at the Galloway campus on June 5.

This collaboration will expand ������ students’ access to Thomas Edison’s nationally recognized Credit for Prior Learning options. Through NJ PLAN, students can be assessed for college-level knowledge acquired outside the traditional classroom – whether through work, military training, community service, independent study or other life experiences. The results are faster degree completion, reduced tuition costs and less student debt.

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to providing flexible, affordable pathways to degree attainment for New Jersey’s students,” said Cynthia Baum, provost of Thomas Edison State University. “������’s participation in NJ PLAN gives their students greater access to innovative tools that recognize the real value of experiential learning and help them move forward with purpose.”

Transfer Pathways, Other Agreements with Ocean County College Expanded

Students in four majors at Ocean County College can now seamlessly transfer to ������’s four-year programs as part of a new memorandum of understanding signed last September by the schools.

“We are very excited to build on the strong partnership between ������ and Ocean County College, said ������ President Joe Bertolino. “Today we are expanding on our Transfer Pathways agreement that has been in place for more than five years by adding new program-to-program articulations in several high-demand majors.”

The agreement calls for a 3+1 pathway partnership agreement for OCC majors in Accounting, Marketing and Business Administration to ������’s School of Business and a 2+2 pathway for OCC’s Social Work major to ������’s School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. 

Last December, the two schools signed a new 3+1 agreement for students interested in earning a four-year degree in Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management. Students can complete their first three years of study at Ocean County College and transfer to ������.

The agreement offers a distinct pathway for students who complete their associate degree in Hospitality, Recreation & Tourism Management at OCC to earn up to 90 credits that may be transferred to ������.

During their third year at Ocean County College, students will take ������-level courses at the county college tuition rate. Then they will transfer their three years of coursework and complete their final year at ������ at the four-year university’s tuition rate and earn a baccalaureate degree in Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management through ������’s School of Business. 

And a series of new articulation agreements signed in June by OCC and ������ will provide students in the arts and humanities with a direct pathway between an associate degree at OCC and a comparable bachelor’s degree program at ������.

The agreements are designed to facilitate transfer for students who have earned an associate of arts at OCC in Music, History, Fine Arts, Graphic Arts, Design & Media and Philosophy & Religion into corresponding academic majors at ������, where they can complete their four-year degree. 

“T��� arts and humanities inspire us to question, to create and to understand the human experience. Through these 2+2 agreements, students can achieve their educational goals efficiently and affordably and graduate with timeless skills that apply across industries,” said Michael Palladino, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at ������. 

������ Up to No. 81 on U.S. News Top Public Universities List

������ continued to soar higher in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report College Rankings released last September.

������ ranked No. 81 out of 225 public colleges and universities in the nation and No. 152 of 436 on the Best National Universities list. In 2023, the University was ranked No. 84 and No. 159, respectively. This is ������’s third year in a row in the website’s national rankings. Previously, ������ was included on the top 10 Best Regional Universities-North.

“My No. 1 priority is making ������ a place where everyone can truly thrive, and these rankings are proof that the University is continuing to improve on accomplishing that mission,” said ������ President Joe Bertolino.

������ was also recognized as one of the top 60 national universities for Social Mobility, which is based on enrolling and graduating low-income students. Nearly 85% of ������’s full-time, first-year students received institutional grants and/or scholarships totaling $17.3 million.

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Honors College Receives Nobel Peace Prize Designation

������ Honors College students will have invaluable research and unique experiential learning opportunities after the University was named one of just 16 Partners in Peace institutions worldwide last November.

The designation was part of a new initiative between the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway, and the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC). The Partners in Peace initiative recognizes council institutions for the achievements of their honors students and faculty in creating, implementing and assessing curricular and co-curricular offerings that highlight the work of Alfred Nobel and recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.

“We are very excited and thankful to partner with the NCHC, which allows us to connect with a wide range of students and educators who are passionate about making a difference,” said Kjersti Fløgstad, executive director of the Nobel Peace Center. “Together, we can inspire meaningful conversations about peace and foster a spirit of dialogue, collaboration and learning.”

������ joined schools in the inaugural cohort from all over the United States, including California State University, Los Angeles, and the world, such as the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.

Joshua Duntley, the director of ������’s Honors College, said the University was recognized after submitting a new Honors class titled “Partners in Peace” that will explore the history of the Nobel Peace Prize and the work and impact of Nobel Peace Laureates. In the class, ������ students will use Nobel Peace Prize winners as inspiration for the development of programs and solutions to challenges faced by our University and the local community, he said.

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Master’s in Counseling Program Granted Accreditation

The independent agency that reviews graduate Counseling programs in the United States approved ������’s program for accreditation.

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) approved ������’s Master of Arts in Counseling program at its July 2024 meeting. The University’s program joins more than 950 master’s and doctoral degree programs in Counseling and its specialized practice areas offered by more than 460 colleges and universities across the United States.

“I am very excited that the Counseling program has earned this remarkable achievement,” said Marissa Levy, the dean of ������’s School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “T��� Master of Arts in Counseling is SOBL’s signature program that’s offered at Kramer Hall in Hammonton, and I look forward to it continuing to grow.”

Fifty-one students have graduated from ������’s program, which began in 2019 and is based at ������’s Kramer Hall location in Hammonton. The program is designed to educate students about best practices in mental health and human services and train students in the skills necessary to work with clients in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, social service agencies, residential treatment centers, community mental health centers and other organizations. 

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MBA Program Partners with Cape May County Chamber

The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation and ������ announced an innovative partnership designed to provide Leadership Cape May graduates with the opportunity to earn college credits toward a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Current participants and alumni who complete coursework in the foundation’s Leadership Cape May County program and then enroll in ������’s MBA or Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration and Leadership programs will earn three college credits and fulfill elective requirements needed for their degree.

“This innovative partnership aligns with the foundation’s goals and broadens our commitment to provide exceptional opportunities for the county’s citizens, from high school graduates to emerging leaders in business and nonprofits,” said Laura Bishop, president of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

“It’s been rewarding to partner with Dr. [Keith] Diener and Dr. [Susan] Adelizzi-Schmidt from ������ to take Leadership Cape May County to a new level,” Bishop said. “We’re in this for the long term and look forward to working together for years to come.”

With the entry into ������’s MBA program, graduates of the Leadership Cape May County program will only need 33 credit hours to graduate instead of the traditional 36. They will also benefit from a streamlined application process and other perks associated with admission to the MBA program.