Georgia Highlands College Expands Student Pathways Through New Academic Partnership with the University of West Georgia

Georgia Highlands College has launched its most comprehensive academic partnership to date with the University of West Georgia (UWG)—an agreement designed to expand access to higher education, accelerate degree completion and strengthen Georgia’s workforce pipeline by creating clear, affordable pathways from associate to bachelor’s and master’s degrees. 

The agreement was signed by Dr. Mike Hobbs, president of Georgia Highlands College, and Dr. Michael Johnson, president of the University of West Georgia, alongside leaders from both institutions. 

Through aligned degree pathways, coordinated advising and automatic admission options, Georgia Highlands College students will now have a seamless route to advance their education beyond GHC—reducing barriers, lowering costs and opening doors to high-demand careers across the state. 

“This partnership represents a major step forward for Georgia Highlands College and the students we serve,” said Sarah Coakley, chief academic officer and provost at GHC. “By creating clearly defined 2+2 and 4+1 pathways with coordinated advising and automatic admission, we are ensuring our students can move efficiently from access to completion and into meaningful careers. This agreement strengthens Georgia Highlands College’s role as a gateway to opportunity while meeting the workforce needs of our region and state.” 

The partnership includes 2+2 pathways, allowing GHC students to complete an associate degree and transfer seamlessly into UWG bachelor’s programs, as well as 4+1 pathways that provide GHC bachelor’s graduates with automatic admission into corresponding UWG master’s programs. 

“Our collaboration with Georgia Highlands College reflects a shared commitment to expanding opportunity and removing obstacles for students,” said Dr. Jon Preston, UWG provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “By aligning programs and advising, we are creating a streamlined educational experience that empowers students to advance with confidence while strengthening Georgia’s future workforce.” 

Available 2+2 pathways include Core IMPACTS routes from A.A./A.S. to B.A./B.S.; computing pathways from the A.S. in computer science or computer information systems to the B.S. in computing; early childhood education to the B.S.Ed. in elementary education; and film and digital entertainment to mass communication concentrations in digital media and entertainment or film and video production. 

The 4+1 pathways include public administration; multiple routes into the MBA from programs such as building information modeling management, organizational leadership, healthcare management, and logistics and supply chain; and health sciences pathways leading to the M.S. in integrative health and wellness or the M.Ed. in school counseling. 

GHC students in approved 4+1 programs may take up to 12 hours of UWG graduate coursework while completing their bachelor’s degree at Georgia Highlands College, provided GPA, credit and academic standing requirements are met. Automatic admission includes waived UWG application fees and does not require standardized test scores when pathway requirements are satisfied. 

Both institutions are committed to maximizing credit transfer, supporting new program development, coordinating joint events, and ensuring smooth transfer and reverse-transfer processes. The agreement renews annually and may be modified by mutual consent. 

To learn more about Georgia Highlands College programs, visit highlands.edu. To learn more about University of West Georgia programs, visit westga.edu.