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Polk State and Florida Poly expand STEM bachelor’s degree pathways

The Eagle to Phoenix Pathway guarantees qualifying Polk State graduates admission to specific Florida Poly programs

Polk state college and Florida Polytechnic partnership

LAKELAND, Fla. — Polk State College students will have a new path to earn bachelor’s degrees in engineering, computer science and other STEM fields through an expanded partnership with Florida Polytechnic University.

The institutions signed an articulation agreement Thursday establishing the Eagle to Phoenix Pathway program.

Under the agreement, students can earn an Associate in Arts degree and complete the required prerequisites at Polk State before transferring into one of 10 bachelor’s degree programs at Florida Poly.

The eligible programs are:

  • Aerospace engineering
  • Applied mathematics
  • Civil engineering
  • Computer engineering
  • Computer science
  • Cybersecurity
  • Electrical engineering
  • Environmental engineering
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Physics

The agreement expands a partnership established in 2019 that provided a transfer pathway into one Florida Poly bachelor’s degree program.

The new pathway goes beyond Florida’s statewide 2+2 system, which guarantees students with associate degrees admission to a state university, by guaranteeing qualifying students acceptance into the designated Florida Poly programs.

“By guaranteeing acceptance to 10 high-demand programs at Florida Poly, we are removing barriers and providing our students a clear, confident path to their bachelor’s degrees,” Polk State President Anastasios Kamoutsas said.

Florida Poly is Florida’s only public university dedicated exclusively to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“The Eagle to Phoenix Pathway program expands access to a world-class education while strengthening the pipeline of highly skilled talent our state needs,” Florida Poly President Devin Stephenson said.

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Brody Wooddell

Brody Wooddell, WFTV.com

Brody Wooddell is a digital journalist and media leader with more than a decade of experience in content strategy, audience growth, and digital storytelling across television and online news platforms.

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