Hudson Catholic High School Rolls Out New Program That Allows Students to Earn College Credits
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August 3, 2022Hudson Catholic Regional High School (HCRHS) is rolling out a new program this fall designed to prepare students for higher education. The Media Arts Certificate Program is an 18-credit program hosted by Hudson Catholic Regional High School and New Jersey City University. The goal of the program is to promote successful undergraduate educational experiences for qualified students during the 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 academic years.
The program is launching as a pilot this fall with 10 Hudson Catholic students at its helm. Beginning in September, this two-year program will allow students to earn eighteen credits toward a Media Arts Certificate that will be equivalent to a Minor at NJCU. There will be eight Media Arts production classes made available to the Hudson Catholic students over the course of two academic years. They will take two classes per semester across four semesters. Two film courses will be held at the Hudson Catholic campus, and the other six will be at the University’s main campus. Students will also have access to NJCU’s Media Arts’ production facilities. All the while, students will be earning credits towards a Media Arts Certificate from NJCU.
“These are exciting times for the school community of Hudson Catholic High School,” stated Br. Christopher Hall, C.F.C., the Archdiocese’s Assistant Superintendent of High Schools. “Mr. Mathews, his leadership team, and the faculty are truly providing students with the opportunity to excel at learning through educational partnerships. Today, academic innovation is just one key to providing quality Catholic education in our growing and changing society.”
Hudson Catholic President Terry Matthews emphasized that the program is designed to help inner city students experience the excitement of college and become familiar with college-level coursework. The hope is that the program will encourage students to go to college and make the adjustment from high school to university life easier.
The program will also help partially relieve the financial burden of attending college for students and families. The William E. Simon Foundation graciously awarded a $55,000 grant to Hudson Catholic this year to fund their pre-college programs. They have also created a $20,000 match challenge for any donor that contributes to the fund.“It is important to us that our students get the real college experience. We work with a lot of inner-city students here, and I want them to be able to go to college and to have an enjoyable experience when they do go,” stated Hudson Catholic President Terence Matthews, M.A.
The Media Arts Certificate Program is not the first pre-college program Hudson Catholic has developed. Since 2018, Hudson Catholic has created three pre-college programs to help students bridge the gap between high school and college.
Saint Peter’s University Accelerated College Experience (ACE) allows Hudson Catholic junior and senior students the opportunity to take one college course per semester and earn credits that may be applied by students towards a degree when entering a college or university at St. Peter’s University. Students must have at least an 80 overall average at Hudson Catholic and must maintain at least a “B” average at St. Peter’s to remain in the program. Students who participate in the ACE program can earn anywhere between three and 12 college credits towards a degree before graduating high school.Hudson Catholic also offers a Dual Enrollment Program with Saint Peter’s University in which students can earn 60 college credits over a three-year span and graduate from Hudson Catholic with an associate degree from Saint Peter’s University. Current degree options for students include Liberal Arts, Criminal Justice, and Science. The program is being expanded this year to include more degree options. The expansion will provide students more individual choice in their studies.
Hudson Catholic Class of '22 Dual Enrollment Program graduates pose after recieving their diplomas from St. Peter's University.
“As our neighbors and community partners, the University has a strong relationship with HCHS and we believe this agreement will further strengthen that bond,” said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter’s University when the program was created in 2018. “We already enroll high numbers of HCHS graduates and we are consistently impressed by the caliber of these students. We are confident that eligible HCHS students will succeed and excel in the dual enrollment program.”
In addition, on July 20th of this year Hudson Catholic was accepted as a partner with Stevens Institute of Technology to participate in their ACES Program, a program designed to increase the participation and success of underserved (especially underrepresented minority) students in STEM and technology-infused degrees and careers, including at Stevens. A few of the many benefits provided to students participating in this program are full scholarships for three top students to attend the Stevens Pre-College Summer Program, special consideration for undergraduate scholarships, customized admissions visit days for stents and families, and admissions and financial aid workshops.“As a college preparatory high school, it’s imperative that we create healthy relationships with our area colleges and universities,” said Matthews.
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