CSCC and MTSU Sign Articulation Agreements

CSCC and MTSU Sign Articulation Agreements

Holly Vincent
Thursday, November 15, 2018 12:00 AM
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Cleveland State Community College and Middle Tennessee State University signed an articulation agreement on Tuesday that will allow for a smooth transition for students with associate degrees to move seamlessly to the four-year university.

MTSU calls this pathway the MTSU Promise, and launched this program in May. The MTSU Promise pledges support to help students at Cleveland State and partner schools to complete their associate degree, then move forward in seeking a four-year degree.

Students transferring to MTSU will receive a transfer scholarship of $3000 per year for two years or a period of four semesters, based on achievement of a 3.0 G.P.A. According to MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, there are 91 former CSCC students currently enrolled at MTSU, making the college one of the most valuable sources of transfer students for the Murfreesboro campus.

“MTSU is the No. 1 transfer destination in Tennessee,” McPhee said. “Extending the MTSU Promise to Cleveland State steps up our partnership even further and will allow our advisers to help these great students transition to our campus.”

In addition to the articulation agreement to ease the transfer from the college to the university, the Presidents also signed an agreement promoting the partnership in their respective mechatronics programs, helping students earn an associate degree at CSCC and transfer to MTSU, where they can work toward their bachelor’s degree.


Cleveland State is one of few community colleges who are partners with the Siemens Mechatronics Systems Certification Program (SMSCP) whereas CSCC can offer globally-recognized certifications on top of academic certificates and degrees. Students can receive both Level 1 and 2 training at CSCC and then transfer to MTSU to receive their Level 3 training by earning their Bachelor’s of Applied Science in Engineering Technology Management with a concentration in Engineering Management.

“Perhaps no other program at Cleveland State has developed so quickly and strongly as our Advanced Technologies programs,” stated Dr. Bill Seymour, CSCC President. “This includes advances in curriculum to meet regional needs and over $1M in state-of-the-art training equipment to prepare students with the skills needed in modern manufacturing.”

According to Tim Wilson, Advanced Technologies Department Chair, CSCC’s mechatronics program has grown by 50 percent since the fall of 2017, and many students have indicated they wished to complete their studies in Mechatronics Engineering.

Seymour continued, “This agreement is also timely due to the establishment of our new Mechatronics Honors Institute. Students in this program will be strong candidates for completing their bachelor’s degree at MTSU.”

The Mechatronics Honors Institute, implemented this fall, blends classroom instruction with on-site manufacturing experience at various industry partner sites. Classes such as Electrical Components, Mechanical Components & Electric Motors, Electro-Pneumatic & Hydraulic Control, and Digital Fundamentals and PLCs are offered, among numerous other courses geared toward a career in the manufacturing industry. Upon completion of the program, graduates will earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Mechatronics Technology. For those students interested in an engineering/STEAM path this will be an easy transition to MTSU, as well as other institutions.

Wilson stated, “This is an exciting day three years in the making. We started this process to give our students an opportunity to complete their undergraduate degree in Mechatronic Engineering. MTSU is an excellent avenue by which those students may complete their studies in an engineering program of study.” 

Wilson continued, “Dr. Walter Boles, Chair of Engineering Technologies, and the staff at MTSU have been a pleasure to work with over the last three years. Finally, after many drafts of the articulation and appropriate approvals from the administration of both institutions, it has come to fruition, and for that we are deeply grateful. It is about the benefit of the student. Congratulations to our students.” 

Photo Cutline: Presidents Bill Seymour and Sidney A. McPhee shake hands following the signing of two agreements in a new partnership between the two schools. One agreement will ease the transition as Cleveland State students earn an associate degree and seamlessly transfer to MTSU. The other is a mechatronics alliance between the two schools’ programs, which both continue to grow.

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