Bridgewater College has been recognized for its commitment to helping students learn, grow and succeed by Colleges of Distinction, which serves as a resource for college-bound students and highlights higher education institutions that value student-centered education and foster dynamic learning communities.
Colleges of Distinction’s selection process includes in-depth research into the schools, which must adhere to four distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community and successful outcomes. At Bridgewater College, students have meaningful interactions with their coursework and with faculty in a variety of ways, including undergraduate research awards, which allow BC students to conduct research under the mentorship of a faculty member throughout the summer, and the College’s annual Celebration of the Arts, Scholarship, Performance, Innovation and Research Excellence (ASPIRE).
In addition to being honored as a College of Distinction, Bridgewater College received special recognition for its business and education programs. The additional accolades recognize the interdisciplinary nature of both BC’s business and education programs, which, combined with practical experiences for students, leads them to engage in the wider world of their respective fields.
Students in BC’s business administration program may choose from several emphases to add depth and expertise in their area of choice. Whether it’s accounting, finance, marketing or organizational management, BC prepares its graduates for today’s business world. Students who major in business may also be interested in two of Bridgewater’s graduate programs, the Master of Arts in Digital Media Strategy (MDMS) or Master of Science in Human Resource Management (MSHRM), both of which can be completed in just one additional year. The MDMS program is offered fully online as of summer 2022, and the MSHRM program is now available in a hyflex model, meaning classes are taught to both in-person and online students at the same time.
The College’s teacher education program prepares teachers who are fully educated in the arts and sciences, have depth of knowledge in a major discipline, model effective communication skills, understand and use technology and research to enhance learning, and are committed to lifelong learning. All teacher candidates spend more than 150 hours in P-12 classrooms prior to their semester of student teaching. Student-teaching placements are a semester-long final field experience involving instructional planning, observation and teaching.
Bridgewater College’s teacher education program is fully accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Additionally, CAEP awarded BC’s teacher education program the Frank Murray Leadership Award in fall 2021 for its commitment to leadership and continuous improvement.
“Connections between different concepts, experiences and programs happen naturally in a school like Bridgewater. By design, all the professional programs are interdisciplinary. Connecting innovative ideas with required knowledge makes a competent student. Take the learning in the classroom and team it with learning in the field, and now you have the proficiency that has become a hallmark of our programs,” said Dr. Barbara Long, dean of the School of Professional Studies. “Both business administration and teacher education represent programs preparing graduates to be impact people in the next phase of their lives.”
Media Contact:
Logan Bogert
Communications Coordinator
lbogert@bridgewater.edu
(540) 828-5486
