Roosevelt University and Harper College announce innovative degree completion program

The long-standing partnership between Roosevelt University and Harper College, the largest higher education institutions serving students in the northwest suburbs, was made even closer on Thursday, March 22 with the signing of a new Dual Degree Program agreement that includes 35 degree articulations. (Pictured above,  Harper President Kenneth Ender (seated) and Roosevelt President Chuck Middleton shake hands over the agreement. Also pictured above are Harper Provost Judy Marwick and Roosevelt Provost Douglas Knerr).

During a ceremony at Harper, Roosevelt President Chuck Middleton said that the agreements “provide a pathway for full-time students to earn in four years quality, accessible and affordable associate and bachelor’s degrees close to home.” 

Harper President Kenneth Ender said that the Dual Degree Program (DDP) “addresses the region’s need for a highly educated workforce and the nation’s agenda to increase the number of citizens with college degrees.”

Academic degrees that are part of the Dual Degree Program include computer science, economics, psychology, accounting, business administration, early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education, special education, commerce and enterprise, criminal justice, hospitality management, network computing and security, organizational leadership, paralegal studies, professional administration and sustainability studies.

After completing their associate degrees at Harper, students in the Dual Degree Program will be guaranteed acceptance to Roosevelt and will transfer seamlessly to complete their bachelor’s degree.

There are also financial advantages to the program.  DDP students receive a Roosevelt tuition discount based on their Harper GPA when they matriculate to Roosevelt. In addition, high achieving Harper students are eligible to compete for special $15,000 and $12,000 per year Roosevelt scholarships and $1,000 awards.

“Advising is an important part of this agreement,” said Douglas Knerr, Roosevelt’s Schaumburg Campus provost. “Roosevelt will provide DDP students with advisors who, in collaboration with their Harper counselors, will help students develop and follow four-year academic plans to ensure that none of their credits are lost when they transfer.”  Once students select their intended Roosevelt major, their degree requirements will be locked in for three years.

Maria Moten, dean of Enrollment Services at Harper, said that the best time for students to apply for the Dual Degree Program is during their second semester at Harper.  “Students must be attending Harper full-time and have completed between 12 and 30 credit hours to be eligible to apply for the program.”

Moten said, “Studies show that students who complete an associate degree before transferring are more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree and they do so in a shorter period of time.”

Students interested in the DDP complete a one-page application form available on either Harper’s or Roosevelt’s website.