BUTLER TWP — Students at Butler County CommunityCollege seeking a bachelor's degree will have an easier time transferring from the college to Indiana (Pa.) University because of a new agreement.

The presidents of both institutions Thursday finalized the agreement which guarantees participating students acceptance and junior status at IUP after two years at BC3.

"What we're most pleased with is that they work in a 'two plus two' format," Nick Neupauer, vice president for academic affairs at BC3, said. "That's something that doesn't happen all that often."

BC3 President Cynthia Azari said the agreement is an option for current and incoming students.

With this agreement, students can take BC3 classes at IUP's Northpointe Campus in Armstrong County for a marketing degree in their first two years. Additional agreements are between IUP's Eberly College of Business and Information Technology and BC3 for bachelor's in accounting, finance, human resources management, international business, management information systems, business technology support and business education.

Other agreements result in degrees in communications media, elementary education, exercise science, health and physical education, hospitality management, psychology, safety sciences and sports administration at IUP.

While BC3 has dozens of agreements, Neupauer said only the agreements with Slippery Rock University and Franklin College in Columbus, Ohio, compare in number of courses that transfer.

IUP President Tony Atwater said the two schools had been working toward this agreement for about two years.

IUP has agreements like the one signed today with both the Boyce and Allegheny campuses of the Community College of Allegheny County.

He said during remarks at a signing ceremony Thursday morning at BC3 that he would also like to explore other agreements, such as between the honors program.