Mars Hill University and McDowell Technical Community College Create Mountain Lion-McDowell Promise

April 27, 2020

Graduates of McDowell Technical Community College who want to take the next step by earning a bachelor’s degree now have a direct pathway to do so at Mars Hill University. The university and the community college created the Mountain Lion-McDowell Promise: A Direct-Entry Admission Program.

The program provides a streamlined process for McDowell Tech’s associate degree graduates to enroll at Mars Hill. It’s designed to help students navigate the intricacies of admissions criteria, determine which community college credits will transfer to the four-year institution, fulfill general education requirements, and address other issues which can arise when transferring.

The Mountain Lion-McDowell Promise gives McDowell Tech students access to information about academic programs, faculty, and staff at Mars Hill who will facilitate their transition to MHU. They will be able to receive admission, financial aid, registration, and orientation communications early in the transition process, which will set them up for maximum success at both institutions.

McDowell Tech students will need to maintain a 2.0 grade point average, earn an associate degree in a college transfer program or in an applied program for which there is an articulation agreement with Mars Hill, and enroll at Mars Hill within one academic year after receiving their associate degree.

Students interested in the Mountain Lion-McDowell Promise may contact Kara Mugrage, transfer admissions counselor at Mars Hill University, at kmugrage@mhu.edu or (828) 689-1206; or Julie Padgett, director of enrollment management at McDowell Technical Community College, at jpadgett@mcdowelltech.edu or (828) 652-0631.

Mars Hill University has similar direct-entry admissions programs for A-B Tech Community College and Blue Ridge Community College students.