ESU Signs Articulation Agreement with Northampton Community College

Posted by: admin on October 3, 2014, No Comments

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is signing three articulation agreements with Northampton Community College (NCC) for those community college students wishing to pursue their bachelor’s degrees in the fields of exercise science, public health or nursing at ESU. These articulation agreements facilitate the smooth transfer of college credits earned at NCC toward these three programs within ESU’s college of health sciences.

“These articulation agreements create a strong partnership between the two leading institutions of higher education in Monroe County. Working together, we enable students interested in earning four year degrees in public health, nursing, and exercise science to seamlessly complete their studies at ESU,” Alberto Cardelle, Ph.D., dean of the college of health sciences said.

The exercise science articulation agreement is intended to benefit NCC students transferring to ESU by showing course sequences for students’ junior and senior years, according to Shala E. Davis, Ph.D., professor and chair of ESU’s exercise science department. “Assisting students from NCC to enroll in our nationally accredited B.S. in exercise science program while maintaining a strong academic foundation is critical,” added Davis. “This transfer agreement provides students with the roadmap necessary to reach their academic goals and move toward a productive career.”

The Commission on Accreditation for the Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) provides specific standards and guidelines for competencies and outcomes for entry level exercise science professionals. ESU’s exercise science department holds the CAAHEP accreditation for the bachelor’s degree in this discipline.

ESU and NCC are both leaders in public health education. ESU was the first Pennsylvania State System university with an accredited graduate program in public health. It now also offers an undergraduate degree as well. NCC has just launched an applied associate degree (A.A.S.) in public health, which is among the first of its kind in the country.

NCC graduates with an A.A.S. in public health can complete ESU’s undergraduate program with a concentration in health services administration or community health. ESU’s accredited program prepares students to enter the dynamic and challenging field of public health as researchers and practitioners working in the prevention of disease and the improvement of the quality of life. ESU alumni of this program are employed in county, regional, and state health departments, major medical centers, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and national and community non-profit organizations. Graduates of ESU’s undergraduate program also have the option of staying at ESU and completing their graduate studies, pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH).

Nursing students who begin their course of study at NCC can now also consider transferring to ESU after completing their RN degrees. ESU’s new R.N. to B.S. in nursing program being offered in Bethlehem will allow NCC nursing graduates to complete their undergraduate degrees in less than two years at ESU’s Lehigh Valley Center located at 60 West Broad Street in historic Bethlehem or on its main campus in East Stroudsburg.

The nursing program at ESU is celebrating its 40th year. More than 1,200 men and women have graduated since the program began in 1974. Students graduating from the nursing program are leaders in a multitude of heath care areas including hospitals, clinics, home care, hospice, and other related agencies. The nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and the PA State Board of Nursing.

Founded in 1893, ESU is one of the 14 institutions in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. ESU offers nearly 60 undergraduate degrees and more than 20 graduate degrees. For more information on these articulation agreements or transfer opportunities with ESU, please contact Candice Pellegrino, assistant registrar for transfer articulation, at 570-422-2839, or at cpellegri3@esu.edu.