Georgia Tech and AMSC Collaboration to Boost STEM Pipeline

Atlanta, GA - Georgia Tech is collaborating with Atlanta Metropolitan State College (AMSC) to expand access to higher education for academically talented students in the Atlanta area. The partnership will offer AMSC students a transfer pathway to Georgia Tech, upon fulfillment of certain requirements.

The collaboration is supported by a two-year $250,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the American Talent Initiative (ATI) through funding for IDEAS, the concept behind the Atlanta Bridge program - a program developed to create a guaranteed pathway for transferring from AMSC to Tech after the first-year of college. Students can transfer from AMSC to Tech after successfully completing required courses, earning a 3.3 GPA, taking Tech's first-year seminar class, receiving weekly academic advising and cohort programming, and participating in networking and mentoring opportunities.

"We are proud to partner with Atlanta Metropolitan State College on this new initiative. It is important that we have clear pathways that allow more students to see a Georgia Tech education as a possibility for them. This program will foster a new generation of talented students who will make tremendous contributions to our state," said Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera.

Beginning Fall 2025, students can enroll in AMSC and take 30 hours of course credit including English and calculus, lab sciences, and other foundational classes. Students on this pathway will also participate in mentoringand network-building programs during the year, while working with advisors on both campuses. After earning a 3.3 (or higher) GPA, they can transfer to Georgia Tech to complete their undergraduate degree.

Over1,400 transfer students, making up more than 26% of the latest undergraduate class, enrolled at Tech this year. With the addition of this program, Tech now offers nine transfer pathway options. Notably, this is the first program to partner directly with another University System of Georgia institution to create a cohort model.

The program will initially enroll approximately 50 students from metro schools, with the goal of both increasing the number of participants each year, as well as identifying another in-state university partner to replicate the model in a rural Georgia area.

"While Tech attracts students from around the world, the Institute's primary mission is to serve our city and state by recruiting, educating, developing, and graduating students and leaders who will fundamentally improve the human condition," said Rick Clark, Georgia Tech's executive director for strategic student access.

This initiative is central to Georgia Tech's commitment to the ATI, which aims to expand educational opportunities for low- and moderate-income students. The collaboration will positively affect the local community by increasing STEM enrollment, providing a clear pathway to Georgia Tech and retaining top talent in Atlanta and Georgia.

"Many of our students who aspire to pursue careers in a technical field need additional support and mentorship to achieve their dream. I am excited about the opportunities that this program will create for AMSC's students," said AMSC President Ingrid Thompson-Sellers.

Since President Cabrera's Georgia Tech arrival in 2019, the Institute has expanded significantly, making sizeable gains in dual-enrollment and first-year, transfer, and graduate student enrollment. In Fall 2024, Tech welcomed over 5,300 new students and has a record total enrollment of more than 47,000. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education's 2024-25 Almanac, Georgia Tech is now the state's largest university.

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