Bermuda College students now have an opportunity to pursue additional bachelor’s degree options in the United States.

It comes after the institution expanded an existing transfer pathway agreement with Flagler College of St Augustine, Florida.

Previously, Bermuda College students were able to pursue bachelor’s degrees in coastal environmental science at Flagler.

The expanded partnership opens the way for bachelor’s degrees in fields including business administration, education, hospitality and tourism management.

Karen Grissette, the US Consul-General in Bermuda, said: “I am proud to celebrate the expanded agreement between Flagler College and the Bermuda College.”

Ms Grissette said Phyllis Curtis-Tweed, a former vice-president at Bermuda College, was “instrumental” in the expansion move after a series of meetings in 2022.

“The partnership continues to flourish with the support of Bermuda College and education stakeholders like James Babcock, who has fostered strong collaborations with other Bermuda education and environmental partners.

“Congratulations to all the partners for their dedication to expanding US-Bermuda education opportunities.”

Necheeka Trott, the acting vice-president of Bermuda College, said the tertiary institution was “pleased to expand its partnership with Flagler College through new, two-plus-two articulation agreements”.

She said: “This initiative offers students a practical and affordable pathway to achieve their academic and career goals.”

She called it “a natural fit for both institutions due to the significance these career pathways hold in their respective jurisdictions”.

Ms Grissette, who has prioritised expanding educational opportunities in the US for Bermudians, thanked the Flagler leadership for a recent visit to the island.

She welcomed a cohort of Flagler students now on the Bermuda Shipwreck Ecology summer study course.

In addition, two students of Flagler College from the previous year’s cohort were selected for internships with the Bermuda Zoological Society, the support charity for the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.

The students will snorkel and scuba dive to study the island’s coral reefs and historical shipwrecks over a two-week period.

The interns will get hands-on experience in conservation and the environment.

According to the US Consulate, the study abroad and internship fits with Flagler’s commitment to expanding education ties with Bermuda.

It also supports the college’s coastal environmental science curriculum, exploring topics such as marine biology, ecology and oceanography.

The US Consulate lauded the “strong connection between Flagler’s coastal environmental science programme and Bermuda’s marine science programme over the years”.

It said Flagler donor James Babcock, who has strong ties with Bermuda, facilitated introductions to Bermuda College and has been “a steady proponent” of the university’s coastal environmental science programme.

In 2014, Mr Babcock expedited a partnership between BAMZ and Flagler’s CES programme to host students for a study abroad summer course that he funded.

• For more information about Flagler College, visitwww.flagler.edu. For more information about Bermuda College and articulation agreements, visitwww.college.bm/index.php/pathways