Post from Community: MATC launches access to four-year degrees on campus with Lakeland University as first partner | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Area Technical College
August 28, 2020
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Milwaukee Area Technical College students can now pursue a Lakeland University bachelor’s degree at all four MATC campuses through MATC’s Center for University Partnerships and Studies. This innovative new educational access program will offer discounted Lakeland tuition and convenience for MATC graduates.
After earning an MATC associate degree, students can seamlessly pursue a Lakeland bachelor’s degree by continuing  to work with many of their MATC instructors in a format that is familiar and flexible. Lakeland will give MATC students pursuing a bachelor’s degree through MATC’s Center a 20% discount on Lakeland tuition and fees and will extend the MATC Promise to any qualified traditional or adult student.
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The MATC Center for University Partnerships and Studies will begin with part- and full-time options to continue on to five Lakeland bachelor’s degrees: accounting, business administration, criminal justice, graphic design and nursing.
The program is open to current and prospective MATC students as well as recent graduates.
“We are excited and grateful to announce this innovative partnership with Lakeland University, which will further strengthen opportunities for our students to earn a bachelor’s degree through the Center for University Partnerships and Studies on our campuses,” said MATC President Vicki J. Martin, Ph.D. “And it will extend the reach of our Promise programs to increase affordability and reduce college debt for all four years for qualified students. MATC continues to be a leader in connecting our students to a four-year degree.”
“This Center honors the special relationship MATC and Lakeland have shared over many years and affirms Lakeland’s commitment to the state’s technical colleges,” said Lakeland President David Black, Ph.D. “It represents a unique public-private partnership that will help elevate students in this region by removing barriers to a bachelor’s degree. It follows the successes of innovative programs in other states, adapted to the needs of our institutions.”
Lakeland coursework will be offered at the MATC locations aligned with each of five bachelor’s degrees and will use Lakeland’s popular BlendEd LIVE and Online LIVE formats. These formats allow students to decide week-to-week if they wish to attend class in the physical classroom or online, and are among the most flexible offered in higher education. Lakeland advisors will have a presence at each MATC campus.
MATC students will also have access to Lakeland’s Cooperative Education program, which creates full- and part-time job opportunities for students through co-op partner employers and tackles the student debt issue. MATC students can earn college credit for their work experiences and earn wages to help pay for school, putting them in a position to reduce or eliminate post-graduation tuition debt.
“This co-op model is unique to Lakeland and we’re excited to be able to expand it to MATC students,” Black said. “Lakeland’s co-op and credit-for-prior-learning options recognize the importance of work and experiential learning, and co-op students are earning impressive work experience with global companies.”
As the MATC Center for University Partnerships and Studies expands, the college will be able to offer additional bachelor’s degree programs to students as well as professional development options for its staff and community members.
To learn more about the Lakeland partnership, visit: https://lakeland.edu/matc-partnership. For more about MATC’s Center for University Partnerships, visit: http://www.matc.edu/academics/academic-resources/four-year-transfer/center-for-university-partnerships-and-studies.html.
About Milwaukee Area Technical College:
Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. Nearly 35,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 150 academic programs; and transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 35 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
About Lakeland University:
Founded in 1862, Lakeland University is an innovative, affordable four-year, private university that integrates the liberal arts with its award-winning Cooperative Education program. Lakeland’s main campus is located in Sheboygan County, and the institution has strong ties to the United Church of Christ. Lakeland serves approximately 3,000 students, including traditional undergraduates at its main campus, undergraduate and graduate students taking evening and online courses through one of Lakeland’s seven centers located throughout Wisconsin and students from all over the world enrolled at its campus in Tokyo, Japan. Learn more at lakeland.edu. Lakeland is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.