Northeastern University and Grow with Google announced in September that students who complete Google’s IT Support Professional Certificate can now receive credit toward a bachelor’s degree in information technology from Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies. This new pathway program is designed to help professionals gain the skills necessary to meet the increasing demand for qualified workers in the IT industry. What’s more, by enrolling in the pathway program, students can shorten their time to a degree and save up to $6,000 in tuition costs.
“The Google IT Support Professional Certificate provides a low-risk, low-cost way for people to gain the skills they need to get a well-paying entry-level job in the IT support field, where there are tens of thousands of unfilled jobs nationwide,” said Kemi Jona, associate dean for digital innovation and enterprise learning in Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies. “By recognizing the Google certificate for credit towards our Bachelor of Science in information technology degree, we help people get the degree they need to move beyond that entry-level job and advance their IT career into more senior, higher-paying positions.”
While an increasing number of organizations are partnering up to create bridges between students and employers, Northeastern is the first university to give learners an opportunity to transform this Google-backed certificate into credit toward a four-year degree.