UMass Amherst Teams with Tech Foundry to Expand Access to Bachelor’s Degree Completion

The University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Tech Foundry today announced a new collaboration enabling staff and community members of the Springfield workforce development nonprofit to complete their undergraduate degrees through the university's flexible, customizable online program.

Tech Foundry members can take classes, receive academic counseling and map their educational pathway through UMass Amherst's University Without Walls Department of Interdisciplinary Studies (UWW-IS), a leader in flexible, non-traditional and adult-focused education. The new collaboration reflects the university's commitment to increasing access to high-quality public higher education while increasing workforce capacity across the commonwealth.

"This partnership illustrates our continued efforts to promote the common good by connecting UMass to the community and the community to UMass," Chancellor Javier Reyes said. "Our goal is to identify students with untapped potential, develop their skills and produce graduates who are ready to meet the critical workforce needs of employers in the region."

Current UWW-IS admission requires 12 transferrable college credits and a 2.0 GPA for adults who did not previously attend UMass Amherst. As part of its unique program, UWW-IS offers credit for prior learning or life experience. Under the agreement, students who are accepted into the UWW-IS and have completed the Tech Foundry's 18-week immersive hybrid training program will receive 15 credits via special transcript, which is equivalent to a full semester courseload. UMass Amherst students need a minimum of 120 credits to earn a bachelor's degree.

The collaboration builds on earlier programs in which UMass Amherst IT provided internships for Tech Foundry trainees.

"Tech Foundry's senior team has been collaborating with various members of UMass leadership in a variety of ways over the last couple of years. Our partnership has evolved to include working with the IT staff on workforce priorities and employment opportunities," said Tricia Canavan, Tech Foundry chief executive officer. "Earning transferrable credits for the University Without Walls Interdisciplinary Program through Tech Foundry's IT workforce program is an important expansion of opportunity for our students and strengthens UMass's multifaceted partnership with Tech Foundry significantly."

UWW-IS Department Administrator Siobhan Henderson says the collaboration also enhances UWW's longtime relationship with Springfield area residents.

"We are committed to meeting learners where they are-professionally, academically and geographically," Henderson said. "This collaboration aligns with our UWW-IS mission that was founded more than 50 years ago-to open doors to adults who thought achieving a bachelor's degree was unattainable."