Helms College announced the signing of an articulation agreement that would allow Associate of Applied Science students of Helms College’s School of Hospitality to be eligible to receive credits toward a degree at FDU.

Under this agreement, students who have earned an AAS from Helms College’s School of Hospitality and have met all admissions requirements of FDU, can gain admittance into FDU’s Baccalaureate program in Hospitality, Sports and Tourism Management.

“We are pleased to officially partner with FDU's International School of Hospitality, Sports and Tourism Management, which is ranked seventh among the Best Hospitality and Hotel Management Schools in the world, with the goal of sending our associate degree graduates to their immersive learning program. Those students will live, eat and get paid to work in departments at the Sea Island Resort on coastal Georgia while also taking online classes through FDU,” said Luke Schultheis, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Education for Helms College. “Giving students experience at a world-class resort after participating in our own immersive programs at Helms College will produce heavily sought after top talent.”

The agreement incorporates full articulation of all of the AAS credits earned at Helms College, reducing the time and cost for students to earn a baccalaureate degree.
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a not-for-profit, nonsectarian, multicampus institution and is the largest private university in New Jersey. The university offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Accepted Helms College students can take classes like as Domestic and International Tourism and Work Experience classes, designed to teach and train students for a successful career in the hospitality industry.

“Our two institutions share the ambition to provide those willing to engage in life-changing education pathways leading to upward social mobility and the noble pursuit of happiness. Our contributions are complimentary as institutions of higher education; however, what differentiates this collaboration is the intimate relations we both have with integrating experiential learning with academic rigor and true student support," said John Niser, Fairleigh Dickinson Director.

The immersive learning experiences at FDU are similar to those of Helms College, where students work in Helms’ own Edgar’s Hospitality Group restaurants, private club and conference centers, as well as completing externships.