FRAMINGHAM, MA – Leaders from Framingham State University (FSU) and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) gathered on FSU’s campus today to celebrate new transfer and accelerated program agreements between the two institutions that benefit undergraduate science and pre-engineering students.

The new transfer agreement enables pre-engineering students at Framingham State who meet academic requirements a seamless transfer into WPI’s School of Engineering to complete a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. WPI welcomed three pre-engineering students from Framingham State into its community this fall through the new agreement.

The two institutions are also partnering on three new Collaborative Accelerated Master Programs (CAMP) in Data Science, Medicinal Chemistry, and Neuroscience. Students in the programs can begin taking graduate level courses during their senior year at FSU. Credits from those courses apply to both their undergraduate degree and a master’s degree, which they will complete the following year at WPI.

Framingham State President Nancy S. Niemi and WPI President Grace Wang celebrated the new partnership during an official signing event on Wednesday, Nov. 6th.

“We are thrilled to partner with WPI on these agreements, which provide students with an affordable path to an outstanding master’s degree in three in-demand fields in the Commonwealth,” says Framingham State President Nancy S. Niemi. “When universities can partner to support student success and opportunity, everyone wins. I’m grateful to President Wang and her leadership team for their support of this initiative.”

"We are proud to collaborate with Framingham State to strengthen affordable and accelerated educational pathways for STEM students,” said WPI President Grace Wang. "We look forward to welcoming these transfer students to WPI and supporting their journey through our distinctive project-based approach. Here they will be immersed in hands-on learning and research that will prepare them for success in exciting careers within high-demand sectors. We are also proud that this collaboration will help meet Massachusetts' growing demand for engineering and science expertise and boost the economic vibrancy of the commonwealth.”

The new CAMP programs are in fields that are anticipated to experience strong employment growth in the near future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 35% employment growth for Data Scientists between 2022 and 2032.

Medicinal chemists are needed in basic science and pharmaceutical discovery. The drug discovery market is expected to have a compounded annual growth rate over 13% from 2022 to 2029.

The neuroscience minor at FSU consistently has the highest enrollment for the interdisciplinary minors, thus indicating high student interest. The WPI Neuroscience program is also interdisciplinary, which aligns well with FSU’s program. It has four different areas of concentration: Computational, Cellular and Molecular, Systems, and Psychological.

About Framingham State University:
Founded in 1839 as the nation's first Public Normal School dedicated to the preparation of teachers, Framingham State University has evolved over the past 185 years into a comprehensive university with standout academic programs across a wide range of disciplines, from the arts, humanities, education, business, social sciences, hard sciences, and more.
Rooted in reform and more relevant than ever, Framingham State's mission has always been to democratize access to a first-rate education. We offer an eye-opening, life-changing experience to all who are chasing a dream. Unapologetically defined by our public status, our ethos to serve the public good is as vital today as it was when we first opened our doors. It’s the power of a being a public university that allows us to impact our students in a way that dramatically changes who they are and who they can become. A power that creates a ripple effect from our students to their families and beyond. A power that allows us to truly serve the unique Framingham community we live and learn in – and allows that community to provide a rich learning landscape and endless network of opportunities for our students. www.framingham.edu

About WPI:
WPI, a global leader in project-based learning, is a distinctive, top-tier STEM research university founded in 1865 on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practice of solving real-world problems. Recognized by the National Academy of Engineering with the 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education, WPI’s pioneering project-based curriculum engages
undergraduates in solving important scientific, technological, and societal problems throughout their education and at more than 50 project centers around the world. WPI offers more than 70 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs across 18 academic departments in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. Its faculty and students pursue groundbreaking research to meet ongoing challenges in health and biotechnology; robotics and the internet of things; advanced materials and manufacturing; cyber, data, and security systems; learning science; and more.
www.wpi.edu