Midlands Technical College strikes agreement with Coker College to saves students money, ease transfer

Coker College and Midlands Technical College have formalized a bridge agreement that will give MTC students access to programs and services to facilitate their transfer to Coker College.

The agreement, signed and announced today on the MTC Northeast Campus by Coker College President Robert L. Wyatt and Midlands Technical College President Ronald L. Rhames, creates the MTC-Coker College Bridge Program, which will take effect this fall. The program will provide graduates from MTC’s A.A. and A.S. programs a direct transfer to Coker College, meaning all of a student’s MTC coursework can transfer to Coker.

“Midlands Technical College is very happy to partner with Coker College to create an additional pathway to higher levels of education,” said Rhames. “This will go a long way toward helping MTC students planning to transfer to Coker stay focused, engaged and transfer successfully. MTC students in the Associate in Arts and Science programs, as well as some of our Career Programs like Marketing and Management, can start building important connections with Coker College from their first semester at Midlands Technical College.”

In addition, MTC graduates in Management or Marketing will be eligible for direct transfer to Coker’s Bachelor of Science in Business Management program. For these students, Coker will offer one business course per week on the Midlands Beltline Campus. An additional general education class will be offered online, allowing students to complete six hours per eight-week term—and providing a defined path to completing a bachelor’s degree.

“Midlands has a longstanding reputation of being an excellent educational institution in the Columbia area, so we’re very happy to be building this partnership,” said Wyatt. “We believe that this program offers both the flexibility and the personalization that students need for a seamless transfer process.”

Coker College and Midlands Technical College promote associate degree attainment. This includes, but is not limited to, completing all necessary coursework and hours to earn an associate’s degree at Midlands Technical College and transfer to Coker College in junior status or facilitating the ‘reverse transfer’ of courses back to Midlands Technical College upon successful completion of coursework and hours at Coker College.

MTC students intending to transfer to Coker must submit an application for undergraduate admission at least two months prior to the transfer semester. They must submit a Coker Bridge Program Information Form to the MTC admissions office at the time of enrollment at MTC or upon decision to transfer to Coker College. May 2016 MTC graduates will be eligible for the first cohort in August, so they are encouraged to apply now.

For more information about the A.A./A.S. Bridge Program, please contact Lacey Rice at [email protected] or (843) 857-4128. For more information about the Management/Marketing Bridge Program, please contact Elaine Hodges at[email protected] or (843) 857-4194.

About Midlands Technical College

Midlands Technical College (MTC) is a comprehensive, multi-campus, public, two-year college serving Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties of South Carolina. The fifth-largest provider of higher education in South Carolina and the largest provider of transfer students to the University of South Carolina, MTC enrolls approximately 16,000 credit students annually. The college’s Corporate and Continuing Education program, one of the largest and most comprehensive in the Southeast, annually has 25,000 enrollments and provides continuing education to hundreds of area businesses each year. MIDLANDSTECH.EDU

About Coker College

Coker College is a student-focused, private liberal arts college located in Hartsville, South Carolina. Coker combines round table, discussion-based learning with hands-on experiences to encourage active participation in and out of the classroom. A supportive, close-knit community prepares Coker students with the confidence and practical life skills they need to reach their personal best, in college and beyond. Founded in 1908, Coker is a bachelor’s and master’s degree-granting institution and competes in 21 NCAA Division II sports. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review, and by Washington Monthly as No. 5 for value among colleges in the Southeast region.