Jean Crocker ’25, had always dreamed of earning her bachelor’s degree. Unfortunately, as she put it, “life got in the way” after graduating high school. Eventually, she earned an associate’s degree and landed a job at Massachusetts’ Head Start program.
It was at an early childhood educators conference that she learned about Merrimack College’s Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program (BDCP), which seeks to give working adults the flexibility, resources and support to earn their bachelor’s degree on their own time.
“My boss encouraged me to think about it as our agency had funding for this type of professional development and she knew it was a dream of mine to get my degree,” Crocker said.
She is now on track to earn her bachelor’s degree in child and family studies next year. Crocker is one of more than 170 students enrolled in the BDCP, which has seen tremendous growth since it launched in fall 2020.
“We reached our high watermark in the spring with 177 students and we’re looking to grow by at least 75 next year,” explained Jacob Turner, the program’s academic director and a professor in the School of Arts and Sciences. “The goal is 500 students by fall 2025, so we hope to get halfway there by the end of next year. That 500 number might sound daunting, but I think we’ll eclipse that number in the next five years.”
The BDCP offers asynchronous online courses in degrees in arts and sciences, and will add strategic communication, psychology and business administration to its portfolio this school year.
“These students are usually in the workforce already and are looking to shift or elevate their careers,” Turner explained. “Or they even just want to get that degree completed so they can tell their children, ‘Hey, I got mine. You should get yours.’”
After growing a successful medical business, John Fitzsimmons ’25 said he was looking for another challenge. He said enrolling in Merirmack’s BDCP has re-engaged his brain in ways he hasn’t done in years.
“I took coursework in what I was interested in (psychology), ” he said. “I have incredible instructors. The flexibility is great and I feel like the workload is appropriate.”
Turner said he identifies with those enrolled in the BDCP because he was a non-traditional college student himself.
“I didn’t go to college right away (after high school), ended up dropping out, then finding my way to Virginia Tech,” he said. “This program being fully online and asynchronous, allows someone to get that knowledge and degree in a format that’s not cramming into a college classroom. We try to break down as many barriers as we can so that success is possible.”
