Bay Path University Launches +C, a New Model for Building Graduate Credentials and Advancing Careers
LONGMEADOW, MA— Bay Path University has developed an innovative approach to graduate education that gives students the opportunity to earn career-focused credentials as they work toward a master’s degree. The University’s “Plus Certification,” known as “+C,” is a graduate-level framework that allows students to simultaneously earn a specialized Master of Science (MS) degree and a market-ready professional certification.
The +C model is designed so that learners in the University’s School of Management and Technology can build stackable credentials into their master’s-level education. Rather than completing an entire degree before receiving a credential that reflects their specialized expertise, students can complete a focused sequence of courses and earn a credential in as little as seven weeks.
“Graduate education has traditionally asked students to wait until they have that master’s in hand to realize its full value,” said Dr. Laurie Rosner, Associate Dean for the School of Management & Technology at Bay Path University and Cambridge College and the architect of the +C model. “Bay Path’s +C changes that equation. Our ‘stackable credential’ design gives learners the ability to respond to the fast pace of technological change and gain the skills that will advance their careers right now, while also preparing for where they want to go next.”
Students can select from specialized areas aligned with emerging workforce needs, building expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, applied data analytics, human resources, finance, healthcare administration, marketing, nonprofit management, quality systems and improvement, and other fields.
For example, within Bay Path and at Cambridge College’s School of Management & Technology graduate programs like MBA +C, students complete 21 credits of MBA core coursework and nine credits in a specialized area. Those nine credits fulfill requirements for a professional certification while also counting toward the 30-credit MBA.
The +C model also creates opportunities for qualifying Bay Path undergraduate students to begin earning graduate credits before completing their bachelor's degrees, allowing them to get an early start on advanced study and obtain graduate-level certifications in addition to their undergraduate degrees.
“+C recognizes that learning doesn’t have to happen in a single, linear progression,” said Dr. Rosner. “Our faculty are practitioners who bring industry connections and real-world perspectives into every course. Our learners are already working, navigating change, and solving real problems, and +C helps them turn what they’re learning today into skills and credentials they can put to work tomorrow.”
About Bay Path University
Bay Path University is a private, comprehensive university known for its bold, innovative spirit and commitment to career-focused education. Bay Path offers a women-only residential undergraduate experience in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, as well as undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for all genders across campuses in East Longmeadow, online, and at Cambridge College Boston at Bay Path University and Cambridge College Puerto Rico at Bay Path University, serving approximately 5,000 learners worldwide.