Transfer Pathways
Explore Your Passions and Propel Your Career with STEM Transfer Pathways
STEM transfer pathways at community colleges are designed to provide students with specialized training and hands-on lab experience, preparing students for a seamless transition to four-year schools.
Classes are taught by knowledgeable, experienced faculty and students have access to mentorship opportunities with leading industry professionals. Boston’s community colleges provide STEM students with a strong foundation for academic and professional success at an affordable cost.
Raziel’s Story: Turning Passion into a Career
The STEM programs at Roxbury Community College (RCC) are both immersive and engaging. Because class sizes are small, students benefit from one-on-one engagement with their classmates and professors. All of the science classes at RCC include a lab component so that students can use the same, state-of-the-art equipment used in pharmaceutical labs and medical labs throughout Boston. My STEM courses reinforced my interests and made me more passionate about pursuing both a bachelor’s and graduate degree.
During my time at RCC, I was given the incredible opportunity to study abroad in France in order to learn more about sustainability and engineering. Through the experience, I gained an understanding of the science that drives green initiatives, including water preservation programs. This experience strengthened my passion for marine sciences, and gave me a clear idea of what a career in STEM looks like.
Towards the end of studies at RCC, my professors, advisors, and counselors helped me navigate the transfer process so I could go on to pursue a bachelor’s degree at a four-year school. This process can be a bit overwhelming, but I received exceptional support from transfer counselors, the on-campus STEM community, and my mentors. My support network encouraged me to pursue all transfer options while making sure I was aware of scholarships and financial aid programs. And, because I was able to complete my general education requirements at RCC, I was able to jump right into advanced coursework for my degree at Boston University.
“My STEM courses reinforced my interests and made me more passionate about pursuing both a bachelor’s and graduate degree program.” – Raziel Perez
RCC prepares the next generation of leaders in STEM industries through rigorous and relevant coursework in a variety of programs, including biotechnology, engineering, biological sciences, and mathematics. Student complete coursework in laboratories that were recently upgraded through a $3 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. The STEM division at RCC proudly hosts guest lectures and special workshops, such as the LSAMP-funded 3D Printing and Design workshop, to all RCC students.
Nadifa’s Story: Unparalleled Learning Experiences
The community college setting provides STEM students the best of both worlds. We get specialized training, dedicated instruction, and time to hone our lab skills while gaining real-world industry experience through internships and mentorship programs.
The classroom and lab experiences I’ve had through my biotechnology transfer program at Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) have been exceptional. STEM professors prioritize balancing intensive in-class discussions and collaborative lab work with independent skills training and career exploration opportunities through mentorships and internships.
My mentorship program at BHCC allowed me to work and learn directly from mentorships at Merck Research Laboratories, BioNTech, and Ten Bridge Communications while connecting me to a broad network of countless STEM and Biotechnology industry leaders in the Greater Boston community. These experiences have helped me further prepare for my future career by helping me see it through the lenses of marketing, communication, and networking skills. Because this mentorship program was incorporated into my coursework, I’ve been able to build confidence in my lab skills, critical thinking, and theory knowledge while also gaining confidence in my ability to maneuver through the business side of my biotechnology degree.
“The community college setting provides STEM students the best of both worlds. We get specialized training, dedicated instruction, and time to hone our lab skills while gaining real-world industry experience through internships and mentorship programs.” -Nadifa Abdi
BHCC offers a variety STEM transfer options for students looking to gain specialized training and real-world experiences in the fields they are passionate about. The biology, biotechnology, and biomedical engineering transfer options all incorporate the fundamental and core education requirements students need to transfer into a program at a four-year school. Each program also incorporates comprehensive laboratory experiences and offers students an extensive assortment of electives to choose from, so that they can explore the fields and specialties they are interested in while still supporting their future degree. Our on-campus STEM community, advisors, transfer counselors and instructors are all committed to making student success a priority.
