Passaic County Community College and William Paterson University Sign 3+1 Degree Programs Agreement

September 22, 2025— Passaic County Community College and William Paterson University  today entered into an agreement that will establish 3 + 1 degree programs leading to baccalaureate degrees in a number of majors.

Leaders, trustees, faculty members, and administrators from both PCCC and WP gathered at the Paterson Room on PCCC’s Main Campus in Paterson for the signing of the agreement. A breakfast reception followed enabling staff of both institutions to engage with their new collaborative partners.

 The leaders, deans, and faculty members of PCCC and William Paterson University

The agreement will provide an opportunity for students with an associate’s degree from Passaic County Community College to earn a bachelor’s degree, in selected programs, from WP. In a unique arrangement that is both convenient for commuters and cost-effective, students will complete their third year of study on the familiar PCCC campus, where they will be taught the WP junior year curriculum, but pay the PCCC tuition rate and have access to PCCC services. They will then complete their final year of study at the William Paterson University campus in Wayne and earn a bachelor’s degree from WP.

“This partnership with William Paterson University will provide Passaic County Community College students with an outstanding opportunity to earn an affordable, high-quality degree without leaving Passaic County,” says PCCC President Steven M. Rose.

The programs covered by the agreement are the A.S. in Advanced and Continuous Business Administration Generalist to the B.S. in Accounting, B.S. in Finance, B.S. in Marketing, B.S. in Management, and B.S. in Supply Chain Management, and the A.A. in Advanced and Continuous Studies in Psychology to the B.A. in Psychology. In addition, PCCC students will benefit from a four-year curriculum mapped out for these programs.

“We are excited to partner with PCCC to provide the students of Passaic County and our broader region with more pathways to earning a William Paterson bachelor’s degree and launching rewarding careers in high-demand fields,” says University President Richard J. Helldobler. “The data show that when more students earn bachelor’s degrees, our local communities and New Jersey’s economy grow stronger.”

The leaders and trustees of PCCC and WP

“Our two institutions are deeply committed to serving our shared communities and this represents an important new means of addressing educational opportunity needs,” says Joshua Powers, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at William Paterson University. “It also opens the door for PCCC students to take advantage of the University’s accelerated pathways to graduate degrees, such as our 4+1 BS/MBA program. We are excited to partner with Passaic County Community College on these degree programs and look forward to additional such opportunities in the future.”

In addition to completing the associate’s degree, students entering the 3 +1 programs will be required to meet William Paterson’s admissions requirements in order to enroll in their final year at William Paterson. In addition, jointly admitted students will have their transfer application fees waived.

For more information, contact Passaic County Community College Admissions at 973-684-6305 or via email [email protected] or William Paterson University Admissions at 973-720-2125 or via email at [email protected].