NECC’s new Accelerated Business Program is designed for students like Catherine Greene who are working full time while attending college. Catherine earned her Associate Degree in Accounting in May.

With our strong economy, more people are working full time, which can sometimes interrupt plans for a college education.

This fall, Northern Essex Community College will launch an Accelerated Business Program designed especially for working adults who are short on time but want to earn a degree so they can advance in their careers.

Courses in the program will be offered online, face-to-face, and as hybrids, and run for seven weeks, rather than the traditional 14 weeks.  All courses will be taught in Haverhill, and students can complete up to 24 credits in nine months.

This fall, for example, students can attend class on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, taking Introductory Accounting 1 and Introduction to Business for the first seven weeks, and Managerial Business Communications and Principles of Marketing for the second seven weeks.

If students take four courses a semester and summer courses, an associate degree could be completed in as little as 18 months, according to Kelly Sullivan, NECC dean of business and professional studies.

Each student in the program will be paired with a faculty coach who will assist with selecting courses and deciding on a personal timeline for degree completion.  Students aren’t required to take four courses a semester, and can pick and choose a schedule that fits their needs.

Students can choose from two tracks: Business Management or Business Transfer.  Graduates can successfully transfer to public and private colleges and universities, including UMass Lowell, UMass Amherst, Southern New Hampshire University, St. Joseph’s College (Maine), Merrimack College, Salem State, and Boston University.    Many of these colleges offer bachelor’s in business online.

To learn more about the program, visit the website or contact Kelly Sullivan, 978 556-3879 or ksullivan@necc.mass.edu.