Supporting 2-year colleges and professional development

Two-year colleges (2YCs) play a crucial role in providing accessible education for students seeking to either enter the chemistry-related workforce or transfer to bachelor’s degree programs. The former is the focus of an American Chemical Society strategic initiative on workforce development for chemical technical professionals. The latter pathway, transferring to bachelor’s degree programs, can be challenging for students and institutions due to varying transfer policies among different institutions. According to the National Center for Education Statistics , in 2021, 30% of all undergraduate students in the US were enrolled at 2-year institutions. The mission of the ACS Committee on Professional Training (CPT) is to foster innovation and continuous improvement in education and training within postsecondary institutions. This mission is achieved, in part, through our development of guidelines for bachelor’s degree programs, the ACS Approval Program, and the ACS Global Recognition program for institutions outside the US. Currently, there is no