Community College now offers education degree

Kalispell –Flathead Valley residents now have the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education from the University of Montana without having to leave the Flathead Valley.

Through the partnership, UM will offer the third and fourth years of study via a combination of distance learning and face-to-face classes taught by UM faculty on the FVCC campus in Kalispell. Students will engage in classroom experiences with tenure-track instructors from the nationally accredited Phyllis J. Washington College of Education and Human Sciences. Students in this program will earn the same bachelor’s degree as students physically located on the main UM campus, without the financial burden of travel, relocation or residency costs.

“This partnership provides members of our community a new affordable opportunity to pursue their dreams of becoming teachers right here in Northwest Montana,” said FVCC President Jane Karas, Ph.D. “We appreciate this collaboration with the University of Montana and the doors it will open for the future teachers of our community.”

Students who have completed the first two years of study in elementary education at FVCC will be eligible to apply for admission into the fall 2015 program. The program also is designed to allow in-district Flathead Valley Community College students to complete their first two years of college at FVCC’s affordable in-district tuition rates and then transfer those credits to UM and complete their bachelor’s degrees in elementary education, all on the FVCC campus.

                “This is such an incredible opportunity for our University, Flathead Valley Community College, and the education community in Western Montana,” said Roberta Evans, dean of the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education & Human Sciences at UM.

                “The service provided to students and teachers across our region will be profound and we could not be happier to partner with FVCC in this very meaningful way.”

The application deadline is July 15. Applicants need to visit the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education and Human Science’s website, www.coehs.umt.edu, for application details. Jayna Lutz, academic advisor for UM’s College of Education, will help walk students through the application process and program prerequisites and will field questions regarding financial aid options.

For more information, contact Lutz at 406-243-6170 or jayna.lutz@umontana.edu.