New Webster-SWIC Agreement Will Allow Students to Save Thousands While Pursuing Business and Legal Studies Degrees

Students studying business administration and legal studies at Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) can easily transfer their credits into similar bachelor’s programs at Webster University, under several new agreements approved earlier this month. This will allow the students to complete both an AA and BA/BS degree in four years’ time, while potentially saving them thousands of dollars in educational costs. 

The latest partnerships bring to 21 the number of programs that community college students can transfer into. Called “articulation agreements,” they are part of Webster’s primary mission of bringing education to students who face obstacles to earning a college degree, said Webster Vice President for Academic Affairs Michael Hulsizer.

“We are bringing education to where the students are and making college education more affordable and easier to access,” Hulsizer said. “Overwhelmingly, the students who attend community colleges are from rural areas or from working-class communities with limited pathways to an affordable education. Studies have shown that students who take advantage of these articulation agreements can save anywhere from $7,0000 to $10,000 during their four-year program. Significant credit for these programs must go to Vice President of Academic Affairs Thao Dang-Williams, whose hard work and dedication to this program have offered new pathways for students to earn degrees while saving money.”

The latest agreements apply to SWIC students in the school's business administration pre-major program and paralegal studies program. Students in the business programs can transfer all credits earned at SWIC into Webster’s bachelor’s in business administration, bachelor’s in business administration with an entrepreneurship certificate, and bachelor’s in business administration with an emphasis in entrepreneurship programs. Students in the paralegal program can transfer all earned credits into Webster’s legal studies degree. The Legal Studies agreement has been approved by the American Bar Association, giving the final degree even further weight in the job market.

Other similar partnerships with community colleges in the region include:

• Goldfarb School of Nursing – allowing biology students to simultaneously earn an BA in biology and BSN in nursing.
• University of Heath Sciences and Pharmacy – allowing biology students to simultaneously earn a bachelor’s in biology and doctorate in Pharmacy degree, saving the students an entire year of tuition costs and time.
• Jefferson College – Webster and Jefferson have multiple agreements.  Jefferson biology students to transfer into Webster’s biology degree; digital communications students can enter Webster’s media studies, integrated strategic communications, and media production programs; and AA nursing students can transfer into Webster’s nursing program, earning simultaneous dual degrees. 
• Johnson County Community College – allowing Johnson game development students to transfer into Webster’s games and game design program.
• St. Louis Community College (STLCC) also has multiple agreements – general studies students can transfer into Webster’s art program with a studio emphasis; general fine arts students can transfer into Webster's art with an emphasis in studio art program; photography students can transfer into Webster’s fine arts with an emphasis in photography program; and graphic communications students can transfer into Webster’s graphic design program.

Currently, Webster is in negotiations with several area community colleges to establish 27 more similar partnerships this academic year.

Visit Webster’s admissions pages to learn more about Webster’s articulation agreements, or to explore how to transfer credits into a Webster program.

With its main campus in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Webster University’s network of faculty, staff, students and alumni forge powerful bonds with each other and their communities around the globe. Founded in 1915, Webster is an independent nonprofit university with students studying at campus locations in North America, Europe and Asia, and in a robust online learning environment. The University is committed to engaged learning experiences and empowering our students to become catalysts for change.

Current Articulations Agreements 

Goldfarb School of Nursing  - Signed Feb 9, 2023

BA Biology to BSN Nursing

University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy  - Signed Feb 14, 2023

BS Biological Sciences to PharmD (3+4: saves students one year)

Jefferson College –  Signed May 30, 2024 

AS Biology to BA Biology or BS Biological Sciences

Johnson County Community College – Signed November 6, 2024

AA to BA Games and Game Design
AAS Game Development to BA Games and Game Design with Game Programming Option
AAS Game Development to BA Games and Game Design with Game Design Option

Jefferson College – Signed July 7, 2025 

AAS Digital Communication to BA Media Studies
AAS Digital Communication to BA Integrated Strategic Communications
AAS Digital Communication to BA Media Production
AAS Digital Communication to BA Media Studies with Certificate in Social Media Management
AAS Digital Communication to BA Media Production with Certificate in Interactive Marketing Communications
AAS Nursing to RN to BSN
Dual Admission – AAS Nursing to BSN

Southwestern  Illinois College – Signed August 28, 2025

AA Business Administration Pre- Major to BS Business Administration (BSBA)
AA Business Administration Pre- Major to BS Business Administration (BSBA) and Certificate in Entrepreneurship
AA Business Administration Pre- Major to BS Business Administration (BSBA) with Emphasis in Entrepreneurship
AA Paralegal Studies to BA Legal Studies

St. Louis Community College – Signed August 2025

AA General Transfer Studies to BFA Art with Studio Emphasis
AFA General Fine Arts to BFA Art with Emphasis in Studio Art
AFA Photography to BFA Art with Emphasis in Photography
AAS Graphic Communications to BFA Graphic Design