Contact: Allison Matthews

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University and Lone Star College in The Woodlands, Texas, today [April 2] formalized an articulation agreement streamlining a seamless transfer process for Lone Star graduates to the Magnolia State’s leading university.

The partnership creates greater student options for advanced educational pathways and specialized degrees that can significantly enhance career prospects and professional development.

Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum and Lone Star College Vice Chancellor for Academic and Workforce Success Dwight Smith signed the agreement in Texas, concluding an MSU visit to the college in the northern suburbs of Houston that welcomes over 80,000 students a semester with high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education.

Keenum said his own experiences as a community college student “were among the most important and influential of my life—both professionally and personally.

“We’ve had a wonderful visit today, and I know it’s the beginning of an exceptional partnership between our institutions,” Keenum said. He touted MSU’s status as a national and international leader in agriculture, engineering, cybersecurity and high-performance computing, among other areas, including the liberal arts, humanities and social sciences.

“Mississippi State attracts our state’s best and brightest students, as well as many exceptional students from the 50 states and from nearly 90 countries around the world,” Keenum told Lone Star counterparts.

The newly signed articulation agreement is one of many MSU partnerships enabling a smoother transition for students enrolling in the university. Such agreements have multiplied at a greater rate since MSU launched its Bachelor of Applied Science degree program, significantly expanding the university’s acceptance of technical credit from community colleges and military training.

“We are working very hard to provide students—wherever they are—with the academic programs they want and need,” Keenum said. “That certainly includes the innovative Bachelor of Applied Science, or B.A.S., degree program we launched in 2019. The online options available provide incredible flexibility and additional convenience with quality that’s second to none.”

He said MSU programs are in high demand and meeting critical workforce needs.

“The B.A.S. is the best of both worlds because graduates have both a technical skill and a four-year degree. They have the knowledge and understanding to accept more responsibility, move up the ladder and become leaders, or start their own businesses providing needed services. It’s a win for our students, our colleges and it’s definitely a win for the economy because it’s building a better and stronger workforce and raising post-secondary education attainment levels,” Keenum said.

Learn more about Lone Star College at www.lonestar.edu.

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.