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For Immediate Release
Minnesota State College Southeast expands liberal arts options by offering new programs in in psychology, creative writing
Psychology Transfer Pathway Associate of Arts degree, Creative Writing Certificate are just the beginning of new options in the Liberal Arts & Sciences
Winona, MN (August 28, 2017) -- With the launch of the Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences, Minnesota State College Southeast transformed itself from a technical college to a comprehensive technical and community college in 2016. Now the college has added a second A.A. degree, the 60-credit Psychology Transfer Pathway, and a new 16-credit certificate in Creative Writing.
Psychology Transfer Pathway A.A.
The Psychology Transfer Pathway option has been developed to make it easier for students to begin a four-year degree at MSC Southeast and transfer to any of the seven universities in the Minnesota State system, including Winona State University, St. Cloud State University, and Minnesota State University, Mankato.*
A student taking the new Psychology Transfer Pathway degree would complete the required first two years of general education credits and select coursework related to the major, such as Lifespan Development, Abnormal Psychology or Social Psychology.
Students who complete a Transfer Pathway degree are guaranteed junior status upon admission to the university, and are assured that the bachelor's degree can be completed in 60 additional credits (for 120-credit programs). Students must still meet university admission requirements, any special admission requirements for the major, and are not guaranteed admission into the major itself.
"In the near future, we anticipate adding several more specialties in the Transfer Pathway curriculum, such as History and Sociology," says Jo Poncelet, MSC Southeast Dean of Academics. "These associate of arts degrees will be a great advantage to students who are seeking a lower-cost path to completing a 4-year education. Our students receive the same rigorous college instruction from our talented, highly-qualified faculty that they would at larger institutions, but our class sizes are smaller and we are able to offer more personal attention."
Creative Writing Certificate
Designed to attract aspiring authors, the new Creative Writing Certificate can be completed in four semesters, giving the student the time needed to develop a unique point of view and voice. Since the program is taught 100% online, it is especially manageable for working adults who have other commitments but wish to build a polished portfolio of workshopped, edited, and publishable fiction and poetry.
"At MSC Southeast, we are fortunate to have a group of instructors who are committed, published, working writers," says English faculty member Pete Beurskens, who teaches in Red Wing. "Any student who desires to learn not only the nuts and bolts of the writer's craft and the writing profession, but also wishes to be mentored towards more fully realizing his or her own talent, his her or own voice and vision, will find that encouragement here."
"We felt there was a niche not being filled, among the two-year colleges, for a creative writing concentration. There are plenty of BAs and MFAs out there in the field, but almost nothing at this level," adds Michael Larson, an instructor in the English department on the Winona campus. "So we wanted to encourage those with a love of language and a love of story to start with us and see where it might lead."
Students who are working on the Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree have the option of selecting the Creative Writing Certificate coursework as electives, and graduating with both the A.A. degree and the Certificate at the same time.
"While MSC Southeast will always be committed to our career and technical programs, we believe the expansion of our liberal arts and sciences offerings will be a tremendous advantage to students in our region," states Dr. Dorothy Duran, President of Minnesota State College Southeast. "We are justifiably proud of our liberal arts and sciences faculty and know students in the Psychology Transfer Pathway and Creative Writing programs will receive expert, individualized instruction in a friendly, caring environment."
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*Minnesota State Universities
- Bemidji State University
- Metropolitan State University
- Minnesota State University, Mankato
- Minnesota State University Moorhead
- Southwest Minnesota State University
- St. Cloud State University
- Winona State University
About Minnesota State College Southeast
Minnesota State College Southeast is a two-year technical and community college that prepares students for a lifetime of learning by providing education for employment, skill enhancement, retraining, and transfer, to meet the needs of students and the community. The Winona campus opened in 1949, merging with the Red Wing campus in 1992 and updating its name to Minnesota State College Southeast in 2016 with the change of mission to offer both technical training and the associate of arts degree. Minnesota State College Southeast is a member of Minnesota State. For more information, visit www.southeastmn.one.