A new agreement will allow Bermuda College students to earn a bachelor’s degree from a Canadian university without leaving the island.

A statement said Bermuda College students completing an associate of applied science degree in hospitality management can transfer up to 25 courses towards a bachelor’s in tourism and hospitality management at Mount Saint Vincent University in Nova Scotia.

Students must be enrolled in their final year of the associate programme and need to have successfully graduated from the Bermuda College before starting courses at MSVU, which has one of the longest-standing tourism and hospitality management programmes at a Canadian university.

The statement said the five-year articulation agreement is one of more than 40 partnerships that provides Bermuda College students “flexible and affordable routes from associate degrees into bachelor’s programmes, allowing many to begin their higher education in Bermuda before completing advanced qualifications overseas or through locally supported delivery”.

Ali Arouzi, Bermuda College vice-president of Academic Affairs, said: “This agreement reflects our shared commitment to strengthening academic pathways, fostering student and faculty exchange and supporting applied learning aligned with the evolving needs of the tourism sector.

“Through this partnership, we aim to enhance educational opportunities for our students, create meaningful opportunities for student mobility and contribute to workforce development and industry innovation.

“We value our collaboration with MSVU and look forward to the positive impact this agreement will have for our institutions and to the Bermuda community that we serve.”

MSVU has offered distance courses to students in Bermuda for almost 40 years and former premiers Dame Jennifer Smith and Paula Cox received honorary degrees from the school.

Joël Dickinson, president and vice-chancellor of MSVU, said: “Bermuda and Nova Scotia share a deep understanding of the vital role tourism plays in economic growth, and highly skilled professionals are key to the sector’s success.

“Through our partnership with Bermuda College, we’re building on that shared perspective by providing a supported pathway for the next generation of Bermudian tourism sector leaders to build on their education at home.

“We deeply value our partnership with Bermuda College and are pleased to be expanding on our commitment to making education accessible.”

MSVU will be responsible for academic oversight, admissions and degree conferral, while Bermuda College will manage local delivery, student support and administrative processes as part of the agreement.

Bermuda College will make arrangements for students who graduate in Bermuda, but pupils can also attend commencement in Halifax.