Middlesex Community College: MCC's Accelerated Classes Help Adult Learners Finish Faster

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

10/25/2021

It is never too late to start a new career, update skills or learn something new. For adult learners in all stages of their lives and careers, Middlesex Community College makes it easy to get an education. With accelerated Mini-mester sessions, students can take more classes over the course of one semester and reach their goals faster.

“I work with many returning adult students,” said Robert Kaulfuss, MCC’s Credit for Prior Learning Coordinator. “Most are working full-time, have family responsibilities to consider, and have not been a part of the traditional semester schedule for many years. The Mini-mester system provides them with several advantages for their complicated lives.”

MCC’s eight-week Mini-mester sessions are both a flexible and affordable option. With two sessions offered over the course of one semester – Fall and Spring – students can start classes at times that are most convenient for them, according to Kaulfuss. With accelerated sessions, they also only have to focus on their studies during a shorter period of time.

Mini-mesters provide the same content, academic standards and number of instructional hours as courses scheduled during the traditional 15-week semester. The accelerated format allows students to better fit classes into their lives and balance their studies with other responsibilities.

“The Mini-mester classes allowed me to continue my education through a deployment and while back at the fire station,” said Douglas Lima, a Milford firefighter in MCC’s Fire Protection and Safety Technology associate degree program. “They are a great pace to keep you engaged with a maintainable work load for students who are working full-time or have families.”

In addition to saving time and helping them reach their goals faster, Mini-mesters help students to spend less money overall on tuition costs. By allowing students to take more classes over the course of one semester, they can complete more general requirements and be prepared to transfer or enter the workforce in less times.

“Rather than having to keep track of two to four classes over a 16- to 17-week period, they can take one course each half of the semester and just concentrate on one or two courses at a time,” Kaulfuss said. “If [unexpected situations] comes up – vacations, work projects, health situations, etc. – they will likely be easier to manage without too much overall disruption to academic progress.”

MCC’s Fall 2021 Mini-mester II – starting on Monday, November 1 – features on campus, online and hybrid course formats students can choose from. The college also offers award-winning student support services and resources that students can access on either the Bedford or Lowell campus, online or by phone.

Please note that Middlesex requires all students to be vaccinated in order to come to campus, as of January 2022. Students who are unvaccinated can still choose to take online classes and access online resources and student support services.

Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434 for more information and to register for Fall 2021 Mini-mester II.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in education for more than 50 years. Middlesex puts the student first. Meeting each learner where they are, MCC provides them with a safe, welcoming and engaging place to learn. Offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses – Middlesex features flexible course formats and a variety of award-winning student support services and resources. Student success starts at MCC!

This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.