An articulation agreement between Bronx Community College and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in Manhattan will soon be sending BCC graduates to the one of the leading design schools in the country.

The success of earlier BCC students at FIT helped draw attention to the College as a source for new FIT students. FIT professors began visiting the BCC campus. Then, in the spring of 2019, BCC hosted a showcase of student work and invited four FIT faculty. “They were like ‘Wow — you guys are amazing! Let’s start working on an articulation agreement,’” recalls Professor Lisa Amowitz, Director of BCC’s Digital Design AAS degree program. “The FIT professors really believed in it and lobbied hard.” Their collaboration with BCC will bear fruit in the fall of 2022 when the first BCC graduates who meet FIT’s admission requirements take advantage of the articulation agreement and begin their education at FIT’s Graphic Design or Spatial Experience BFA programs. All of their BCC credits outlined in the agreement will be accepted for transfer and they will enter FIT as juniors.

“We are thrilled that the Fashion Institute of Technology, a world-class school of design, is looking to Bronx Community College for its future students,” observes BCC President Thomas A. Isekenegbe. “It says that the graduates of BCC’s Digital Design program are prepared to compete at the very highest level in a demanding field.”

FIT is already working with BCC students interested in transferring to the school that Professor Amowitz describes as “prestigious with a capital P.” Craig Berger, Associate Professor and Chair of the Communication Design Pathways Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology, spoke to BCC design students at an orientation session.

“Transferring to FIT is a great opportunity for BCC Digital Design students to apply their skills directly in a competitive environment,” says Prof. Berger. “BCC students have been successful in the past because of their strong foundation in technical and design skills so we are happy to sign this agreement.”

“They’re making a concerted effort to create this pipeline with us,” says Professor Amowitz. “They will reserve spots for qualified BCC students.”

Outreach to high school students considering a career in design is also underway. The ultimate goal is a seamless pipeline from high school to BCC to FIT to internships to jobs in the field.

As Prof. Amowitz puts it, “BCC is like a red carpet saying, ‘Hello, young artists of the Bronx. Come here. This is your door.”