Beginning this fall, a student taking courses for an associate’s degree at East Central College could also take classes for his or her bachelor’s degree at Missouri S&T during the same semester as part of the two colleges’ concurrent enrollment program. Approved by the Department of Higher Education’s Coordinating Board for Higher Education earlier this month, the concurrent enrollment program is designed to help students earn a degree in less time while spending less on college.

Dr. Jeffrey Cawlfield, vice provost for undergraduate studies and professor of geosciences and geological and petroleum engineering at S&T, said the steering committee and subcommittees working on the project anticipate that approximately five to 10 students will participate in the program next semester.

East Central College, based in Union, Missouri, has satellite locations in the Missouri cities of Rolla, Sullivan and Washington.