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BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Dual Enrollment Program

Earn credit at Villa Maria College while still attending high school!

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Home » Admissions » Dual Enrollment — BPS

Program Overview

Villa Maria College’s Dual Enrollment Program provides Buffalo Public School students enrolled in specific art and music courses, the opportunity to earn Villa Maria College credits while still attending high school.

Eligibility:

  • Must be a current high school junior or senior
  • Must have an 85% course average at the time of course registration

This is intended to be a benchmark to motivate students for the rigors of college level course work. BPS students are not responsible for tuition and or fees.

Benefits:

  • Opportunity to earn concurrent college and high school credit
  • Experience college level coursework
  • Get a head start on college while still completing high school requirements
  • Students who take either of the two advanced placement (AP) courses offered through the program have the opportunity to earn college credit based on their course grades and not a qualified score on an AP examination

For more information, contact Krysta Edwards at 716.961.1801 or [email protected].

Course Offering

Refer to the chart below for detailed information about the courses currently available as dual enrollment courses in the Villa Maria College Dual Enrollment Program to BPS Students for the 2024-2025 school year. Note that some available courses are for PS 192 Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts Students only.

Course Name High School Credit College Credit Hours College Course
AP Studio Art – Draw Portfolio 1.0 3 ART 104 – Drawing
AP Studio Art in 2D 1.0 3 ART 101 – Two-Dimensional Design
Introduction to Music Industry 1.0 3 MUI 107 – Music Industry
Music Technology OR Intro to Music Technology 1.0 3 MUI 150 – Introduction to Music Technology

BAVPA Only

Course Name High School Credit College Credit Hours College Course
Studio in Drawing and Painting 1.0 3 ART 104 – Drawing
Studio in Graphic Design and Advertising 1.0 3 GRA 224 – Illustration
Studio in Computer Arts 1.0 3 PHO 201 – Photo Imaging and Design
AP Music Theory 1.0 4 MUS 101 – Music Theory I
Vocal Jazz Theory 1.0 3 MUJ 201 – Jazz Theory I

Dual enrollment courses available in BPS High Schools are at the discretion of the Department of Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction. Content area directors work closely with the Office of Curriculum Initiatives in collaboration with Villa Maria College to ensure curriculum alignment for each Villa Maria College Dual Enrollment Program course.

Program Details

Teacher of Record information

Teachers of record for Villa Maria College’s Dual Enrollment Program are vetted by high school building administrators and BPS content area directors. Once vetted, the teacher will be approved as a Villa Maria’s Dual Enrollment Program course instructor.

Student Registration

Students enrolled in a full-year high school course during the 2024-2025 school year, that is also a course in Villa Maria College’s Dual Enrollment Program will have the opportunity to register for college credit in the spring 2025 semester.

Students enrolled in the Dual Enrollment Program must have an 85% class average at the time of registration to be eligible. The registration window is February 1, 2025 – February 28, 2025.

Detailed instructions for student registration will be shared with school administrators and teachers prior to the registration period. Students must provide their social security number to enroll in the program.

Student Rosters

Course rosters will be available to BPS course instructors following student registration.

Grading Process

Student grades are to be reported to Villa Maria College at the conclusion of the grade reporting time frame in accordance with the BPS time frame. Teachers will use their section rosters to record each students final course grade. Teachers will record alpha grades determined by the alpha grade conversion chart provided by Villa Maria College. Details regarding submission of final grades will be shared with school administrators and teachers prior to the grade reporting time frame.

Withdrawal Process

Once a student is registered for a Villa Maria course they are not able to drop the course. The only available option is to withdraw. The withdrawal date for spring Semester 2025 is April 11, 2025.

  1. Prior to withdrawing the teacher and student should discuss their options.
  2. If it is decided that the student will withdraw, the student or their legal guardian must contact Villa Maria College via email with a written withdraw statement.

Once a course grade has been officially entered into the system a student cannot withdraw from the college credit course.

Course Credit Hours

Earned dual enrollment course credits can be applied towards a Villa Maria degree or another accredited college a student may attend. It is the decision of any college to accept transfer credits and to do so based on a grade requirement. It is the students responsibility to check with the college or university they plan to attend regarding their transfer credit policy and degree requirements to determine if their Villa Maria course credits can be applied to their chosen degree program. The same applies to students who plan to attend a college or university out of state.

In order to receive college credits for a Villa Maria College Dual Enrollment Program course, the student must be registered in the program and have earned a final grade of C or better.

Transcripts

Upon completion of a course, a transcript will be issued from Villa Maria College.

The National Student Clearinghouse is Villa Maria Collages authorized partner for providing official transcripts to students. Students can request a transcript from Villa Maria College by using the transcript request form on the Villa Maria College website.

Apply Now

Click Here to Apply to the Dual Enrollment Program

For more information, contact Krysta Edwards at 716.961.1801 or [email protected].