Gettysburg College and Towson University launch graduate pathway program
By Sabrina Tevolini, Contributing Writer
Gettysburg College students can now move to Towson University for graduate studies as part of a partnership between the two colleges.
The graduate pathway program was announced in August and streamlines the move from undergrad to graduate school. The goal is to open more doors and help students plan ahead for their futures, according to Gettysburg College Director of Admissions Mary Smith.
David Ownby, Towson University’s interim dean for the College of Graduate Studies, said to get into the program students need to be enrolled in an undergraduate program at Gettysburg College, have a 3.0 GPA and fill out Towson University’s streamlined graduate studies application.
Gettysburg students applying through this pathway pay no application fee, and for continuously enrolled out-of-state students, there’s an exclusive 30% tuition discount.
The 21 Towson graduate programs students can move into have a strong focus in nursing, athletic training, forensic science, and economics. These programs were chosen to complement undergrad and student interest, Jim Duffy, the assistant vice president for co-curricular education at Gettysburg, said.
Duffy said Gettysburg students’ interest in the applied sciences make these pathways popular, and the partnership helps them take the next step without leaving behind the academic strengths students built during undergrad.
“It’s a win-win for both of us,” Smith said.
Ownby said students will get the same small college feel just at a large institution. He added that Towson’s faculty are closely engaged with graduate students, working directly with them in ways not always found at larger research universities.
Ownby said as student interest grows, the partnership could expand to include more graduate fields and additional opportunities for collaboration, giving students a smoother transition into graduate studies and the chance to explore new fields with support from both institutions.
Due to technical difficulties with The Towerlight’s website, this article was originally published in the Towerlight Today e-newsletter on Sept. 26, 2025. The article was posted to The Towerlight’s website on Oct. 5, 2025.