CSM Signs Agreement with Va. Tech

Articulation Will Create Smooth Path to Bachelor’s Degrees in Construction, Real Estate

The transition from an associate’s degree to a bachelor’s degree in building construction or real estate has just gotten easier. On March 30, the College of Southern Maryland and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University signed an articulation agreement that will provide a seamless transition from CSM’s associate of arts in general studies or associate of arts in arts and sciences to bachelor degree programs at Virginia Tech in building construction or real estate.

“We are privileged to be the first out-of-state institution that has an [undergraduate] agreement with Virginia Tech. Why this is so important is that as a transfer institution, over half of our students — close to 60 percent — expect to transfer. It is our responsibility to have a pathway for them [to complete their bachelor’s degree],” said CSM President Dr. Brad Gottfried.

The agreement came about because Chaney Enterprises CEO Frank Chaney wanted to create a pipeline for students in Southern Maryland to pursue careers in the building industry. Chaney’s was once a student at Virginia Tech, and that experience led him to bring together administrators from his alma mater and CSM to discuss the possibilities of a transfer agreement, starting back in 2013.

“[The College of Southern Maryland] speaks to the words ‘Transforming Lives.’ We all agree at Virginia Tech that we need to form that pathway to higher education to transform lives,” said Virginia Tech Vice Provost for Enrollment and Degree Management Wanda Hankins Dean, who, along with Myers-Lawson School of Construction Associate Director Dr. Andrew McCoy and Building Construction Department Head Yvan J. Beliveau traveled to Southern Maryland for the ceremony.

For two years now, CSM has been working tirelessly with colleges and universities to make bachelor’s degrees more affordable and more easily accessible for students in Southern Maryland. Because of those efforts, more than 50 guaranteed articulation agreements are in place for students to start locally and transfer seamlessly to the college of their choice. During the last school year, more than 1,700 CSM students transferred to 226 four-year colleges and universities located in 45 different states and the District of Columbia, with Virginia Tech among the top 20 schools that receive CSM students.

The Virginia Tech agreement is relevant to students who have completed their associate degree with a GPA of 3.0 or better and plan to major in real estate or construction management.

Information on this agreement and the other 50 transfer articulation agreements is available on CSM’s website.

See more about the Virginia Tech Building Construction Program, visit that school’s website.

You also can find more about the Virginia Tech Real Estate Program on the website.

For more about the College of Southern Maryland, visit their Leader member page.