RADNOR, Pa. (January 13, 2014) — Just two years after announcing a 12.5 percent reduction in tuition and fees and capping costs through May 2015, Cabrini College is breaking new ground again —introducing new undergraduate and graduate programs, and forging partnerships with Philadelphia medical and dental schools and area elementary and high schools.
Chief among new programs is a four-year degree in Digital Communication and Social Media. One of only a few in the area, Cabrini’s Social Media major meets the growing demand for employees skilled in marketing through social media.
Other new undergraduate programs are International Business, a Health Sciences track in Biology, and a 4+1 program leading to both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Accounting. New minors include Leadership Studies, Writing, Theater, and Black Studies.
Through new partnerships with Philadelphia area universities, Cabrini students can earn bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in dentistry, pharmacy and physical therapy—all in one year less than a traditional timeframe.
The partnerships are with:
- Temple University: Students earn bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in dentistry in a 3+4 format (three years at Cabrini followed by four years at Temple).
- Thomas Jefferson University: Students earn bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in pharmacy in a 3+4 format (three years at Cabrini followed by four years at Thomas Jefferson University).
- Widener University: Students earn bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in physical therapy in a 3+3 format (three years at Cabrini followed by three years at Widener).
Cabrini students enrolled in the Temple dentistry and Thomas Jefferson University pharmacy programs will have mentorship from students and staff at those schools during the program duration.
“These new programs will afford Cabrini students extraordinary opportunities in growing fields,” says interim president Deb Takes.
“The partnership programs in dentistry, pharmacy and physical therapy offer an economic benefit to the students by combining their senior year at Cabrini with their first year in their professional studies, thereby cutting the cost of their bachelor’s degrees by 25 percent. Not only that, but graduates can begin their careers one year earlier.”
On the graduate level, Cabrini is expanding its traditionally strong offerings in Education to include new certifications in Pre-K to Grade 8 Special Education and in K-12 Administration. The College’s Master of Science in Leadership program has added tracks in civic and non-profit leadership to the existing program in organizational leadership.
These new programs come on the heels of a significant reduction in undergraduate costs at Cabrini. The College reduced undergraduate tuition and fees for the 2012–13 academic year by 12.5 percent, froze tuition at the new lower level for the current academic year, and has pledged to maintain competitive tuition costs in the future while continuing to offer a quality private education and innovative programs teaching the skills that employers seek.
In addition to new programs, Cabrini has formed new partnerships with area schools Archbishop Carroll, Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast high schools, and St. Frances Cabrini Regional School in Philadelphia, adding to long-standing partnerships with The Woodlynde School and the Academy in Manayunk.
Junior and senior students from Cabrini’s partner high schools can take reduced-rate classes online, at Cabrini College, or at the high schools, earning up to 21 college credits.
“These partnerships give local high school students the ability to get ahead in their college careers, significantly reducing their college cost,” says Bob Reese, vice president for enrollment at Cabrini College.
On Friday, Jan. 10, Cabrini hosted more than 200 students from Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast at College Fest 2014.
The high school students were immersed in a full day of college life, including:
- Lab exercises in microbiology, led by the chair of Cabrini’s science department and a student-researcher
- Sessions on transitioning to college
- Workshops on using Cabrini’s library (Cabrini’s librarian regularly provides Bonner and Prendergast students with information literacy instruction, which includes “red phone” service and database access—the same access Cabrini students receive)
Later in January, Cabrini will host the inaugural Tri-College International Dinner for international students at Cabrini and nearby Eastern University and Valley Forge Military Academy and College.
About Cabrini University
Founded in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cabrini University is a Catholic institution that empowers students to become advocates of social change through an Education of the Heart, focusing on academic excellence, community engagement, and leadership development.
Cabrini enrolls approximately 1,300 undergraduates in more than 35 majors, pre-professional programs, concentrations, and minors on its serene 112-acre campus located 30 minutes from Philadelphia. The University also enrolls 900 students in graduate, doctoral, and professional studies programs at its main campus in Radnor, PA, and at five off-campus locations.