Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) has inked a new alliance with Lake Superior State University (LSSU), the college announced Monday.

Under a series of new articulation agreements between NMC and LSSU, engineering students at NMC will “have four more opportunities to complete a bachelor’s degree.”

“The agreements allow students to complete an associate degree at NMC and guarantee both admission and transferability of the credits to LSSU, in Sault Ste. Marie, toward a bachelor of science degree in four specialty areas,” NMC shared in a press release. Those specialty areas include computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and robotics engineering. 

“The computer and robotics engineering pathways in particular provide students with new options for majors while beginning their education at NMC,” the press release continued. “Depending on the degree program chosen, students could spend two years at NMC, saving nearly $20,000, and two at LSSU to earn their bachelor’s. As an added benefit of the robotics engineering pathway, students can typically earn a minor in electrical or mechanical engineering within their final two years at LSSU.”

LSSU has a lauded engineering program, complete with a $2 million robotics lab. The university’s engineering department boasts 100 percent job placement for its graduates, with engineering alumni earning a median salary of $70,000.

“These new agreements complement our already robust transfer pathways, providing our students with greater options for majors all while enjoying guaranteed admissions and course transferability to an exceptional engineering program,” said NMC engineering instructor Jay Smith. “Like NMC, LSSU has a student-centered approach with small class sizes and a focus on student success, which I am confident our learners will appreciate.”

NMC has previously signed articulation agreements with numerous other colleges and universities, both in Michigan and abroad. Other alliances include Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University, and the University of Maine.