ESU Signs Two Articulation Agreements with Raritan Valley Community College

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

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania will enter into two articulation agreements with Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) for the sport management and exercise science degree programs.

This will facilitate the seamless transfer of college credits earned at Raritan Valley Community College toward the Bachelor of Science degree programs in sport management or exercise science at ESU.

“This agreement provides both institutions with the bridge between the programs in sport management at a time when the sport, recreation and tourism industries are expanding throughout the region while building brand value for both institutions in their alignment with these industries,” said Robert Fleischman, J.D., Ed.D., ESU’s dean of the college of business and management.

The exercise science articulation agreement is intended to benefit those Raritan Valley Community College students who may be considering transferring by showing course sequences for students’ junior and senior years. In order to make sure students take full advantage of everything the articulation program has to offer, students need a 2.0 GPA and must have an associate degree. As they continue at ESU, they need a 2.5 GPA in their major.

“The new agreement with East Stroudsburg University offers a terrific opportunity for students who are interested in a career in the fitness industry to complete their bachelor’s degree and enhance their job prospects in the field,” said RVCC President Michael J. McDonough. “RVCC is committed to providing our students with the roadmap they need to complete their education and launch successful careers in a highly competitive job market.”

Since 2007, nearly 500 students have earned degrees in exercise science at ESU. Many of those individuals have gotten jobs as strength and conditioning coaches or as coaches of athletic teams. Others have gone into corporate fitness or gotten positions in wellness programs, such as those offered at fitness centers and YMCAs. It will take most students who are transferring from RVCC to ESU two years to finish their exercise science degrees. However, ESU does offer an accelerated exercise science program.

“Our two exercise science programs have been working together for a many years and Raritan has been an important academic partner,” said Alberto Cardelle, Ph.D., ESU’s dean of the college of health sciences. “This articulation agreement will formalize this relationship and allow us to continue to strengthen both of our programs.”

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 department of exercise science holds the CAAHEP accreditation for the B.S. in exercise science. The ability to provide a seamless transition from a quality associate degree program, such as at RVCC, assists students as they pursue their bachelor’s within one of the three concentrations under exercise science.

The signing ceremony will be at Raritan Valley Community College on Thursday, September 25, at 10 a.m.

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.

To learn more about ESU’s college of business and management, contact the office of admission at 570-422-3834, the department of sport management at 570-422-3495 or the department of exercise science at 570-422-3302.