By Morgan State
BALTIMORE – Morgan State University and the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) formally cemented a collaborative agreement to offer students a seamless and efficient path toward earning a bachelor’s degree through the new Degrees to Succeed (D2S) program. Together, two of Maryland’s largest institutions—Morgan, the state’s largest Historically Black College and University (HBCU), and CCBC, the largest 2-year public college in the state—will provide dual admission to students, increasing associate degree attainment and accelerating undergraduate degree completion.
"Unlocking a world of possibilities, our newly cemented dual admission program with CCBC bridges the gap between aspiration and achievement,” said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan. “Together, we are empowering students to seamlessly enroll in both institutions, pioneering a pathway to success. This partnership isn't just about degrees; it's about creating a synergy that accelerates learning, making the journey from associate to bachelor's degrees not only exceptionally efficient but also truly transformative, redefining education and demonstrating that partnerships like this are not just helpful, but imperative, for greater accessibility to higher education."
Administrators from Morgan hosted the official memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony led by President Wilson and CCBC President Sandra Kurtinitis, signaling the program's launch.
The Degrees to Succeed program provides students with benefits of both institutions, starting their coursework at CCBC — completing their Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree — then transferring their credits to Morgan — where they would begin their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree as a Junior (third-year student). Additional benefits for CCBC students participating in the Degrees to Succeed program at Morgan include the following:
- Co-advising with Morgan State advisors to ensure CCBC courses align with Morgan’s more than 140 academic degree programs
- Membership in the Morgan State University Transfer Mentor Program provides new transfer students with a faculty or staff mentor for their first year at Morgan
- Morgan State campus ID card allowing entry to select Morgan events and activities
- Application fee waiver with the option to compete for a $1,000 renewable merit scholarship.
“We are pleased to partner with Morgan State University to give CCBC students an opportunity to fast-track their educational goals,” said President Kurtinitis. “One student, two institutions, one experience — that’s the magic of Degrees to Succeed. Students have peace of mind knowing that they have already been accepted into Morgan with the successful completion of their associate degree. The transfer will be seamless, and students will have a familiarity with the Morgan campus and processes through the early access to Morgan advisors as well as select events and activities.”
With hundreds of associate and bachelor’s degrees to choose from, CCBC and Morgan offer students a wealth of opportunities to advance their academic goals. Forging this strong partnership builds on the strengths of both institutions and lays the groundwork for more CCBC students to earn bachelor’s degrees and carry less debt. For nontraditional students leveraging earned associate degrees as well as accumulated course and/or work experience, dually-admitted students in the Degrees to Succeed program would also benefit from a number of interdisciplinary degree programs offered through the College of Interdisciplinary & Continuing Studies (CICS) at Morgan.
Degrees to Succeed also aims to bolster retention and foster transfer rates among students matriculating from community colleges. The number of students transferring from two-year colleges to four-year institutions declined by 7.5% in fall 2022 compared to the previous year, according to a recent report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC). The Morgan-CCBC agreement and subsequent dual admission program align with Maryland’s Transfer With Success Act and contribute to the Maryland Higher Education Commission’s (MHEC) completion initiative to increase collegiate engagement, academic progress, and degree attainment.
Daniel Harrison, a senior Electrical and Computer Engineering major at Morgan, is a prime example of transfer student success. Before transferring to Morgan in 2021, Harrison earned three associate degrees, in General Studies, Science, and Humanities and Social Sciences, all from CCBC. Sharing his experience as a transfer student at the signing ceremony, Harrison acknowledged just how beneficial Degrees to Succeed would be to students at CCBC who aspire to earn bachelor’s degrees.
“Guaranteed admission to Morgan, having all your credits accepted and also starting as a junior will see to it that students are not spending any more time or money than they need to,” Harrison commented. “The development of a program like this is just further proof that the students’ future is the main focus at these two institutions and their partnership is a pledge to support and guide students, providing them with the resources they need to succeed.”
To learn more, visit ccbcmd.edu/degreestosucceed.