University Announces Expanded Partnership with Union County College

In an effort to meet the community and labor market needs of Union County residents and provide students with convenient access to affordable, quality higher education, Montclair State University and Union County College (Union) have announced a partnership that will offer degree programs at Union’s University Center in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.

The agreement was signed on February 3 at a meeting of Garden State community college presidents on the Montclair campus.

The University Center programs, which will be in place for the fall 2022 semester, will be open to students with an associate degree or equivalent. Montclair will lead the admissions process, and priority will be given to Union graduates who have obtained an associate degree. Montclair students can also take classes at the University Center, and Union students will be able to register for courses on the Montclair campus.

A total of three bachelor completion programs will be offered, including Business, Computer Science and Education, as well as graduate degrees in Business and Educational Leadership.

“We are excited that this partnership not only strengthens our relationship with Union County College, but represents a major step forward in meeting the needs of students who seek an affordable and accessible college education,” says Montclair President Jonathan Koppell. “Offering options that complement our traditional model of in-person, on-campus learning needs to be part of Montclair’s future and the future of higher education.”

Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Montclair will be able to enroll in all required junior- and senior-level courses offered at the University Center; full-time students who have earned an associate degree from Union and transfer to the University Center may earn a Montclair bachelor’s degree within a four-year period.

These new offerings to Union County students further Montclair’s long-standing tradition of partnering with local institutions to create increased opportunities for community college graduates to continue their pursuit of higher education.

The programming is also part of a continued effort to address the needs of transfer students – who currently make up about a third of Montclair’s undergraduate population – and make transfer opportunities more accessible. Another recent offering is Montclair’s new online Degree Completion Program, which allows students who have been out of school for two or more years (and meet age and GPA requirements) to earn a BA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Humanities or Education Studies. The program joins Montclair’s Feliciano Business Online program, which offers students with an AA or AS in Business an opportunity to complete a BS in Business Administration in a fully online (asynchronous) format in as few as five semesters or 20 months.

The University Center building where students will take classes is owned by Union and has undergone recent renovations that include new study spaces for students, computer labs and additional classroom space. The Scotch Plains campus, in addition to housing the University Center, is also home to the College’s virtual campus.

“We are excited to partner with Montclair State University to provide additional opportunities for our students,” states Union President Margaret M. McMenamin. “Now, Union County College graduates will be able to conveniently and affordably pursue their bachelor’s degree with Montclair right here in Union County, at the University Center on our Scotch Plains campus. Helping our students achieve their dreams is our top priority.”

For more information on Montclair’s partnership with Union County College, visit montclair.edu/admissions/montclair-union-county.

About Union County College

Union County College is a public comprehensive community college providing quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College enrolls almost 20,000 credit, non-credit, and continuing education students and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Many programs lead to an Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, or an Associate in Applied Science degree. For more information about Union County College, go to www.ucc.edu.