Burleson ISD, Hill College, UNT Health create health care pathway program
The Burelson school district is partnering with Hill College and UNT Health Fort Worth to create a pathway program for students interested in the health care and biomedical science fields.
The program, which will start this fall, is called the Accelerated Biomedical Careers Initiative, and will allow students at Burleson high schools to start earning college credits early so they can earn their degree in a shorter amount of time.
Students in any grade, including incoming ninth graders, will be able to earn college credit through the program, but it will start with the district’s eighth graders and grow as they progress through high school, wrote Lindsey Byrd, Burleson’s chief of secondary education, in a statement to the Star-Telegram.
“Instead of waiting until after high school to begin their journey, students can start earning meaningful college credit earlier, work toward an associate degree while still in high school, and continue into UNT Health’s online bachelor program,” Byrd wrote. “That kind of alignment matters because it helps students save time, reduce uncertainty, and better understand the steps between high school and a professional career.”
After Burleson students complete the program, those who meet the admission criteria for UNT’s biomedical sciences program will receive guaranteed admission to the program, which is fully online.
The program includes up to 45 dual enrollment credits that count toward both high school and college. Students can graduate high school with a “core complete” designation, which is recognized by all Texas public universities. It is also enough credits for students to earn an Associate of Science degree while in high school and move directly into UNT Health Fort Worth’s online Biomedical Sciences bachelor’s program.
All courses will be offered directly on Burleson’s high school campuses. The program will focus on areas of the health care field including dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, and other professional health care services, the district wrote in a news release.
“By giving BISD students a head start, we are shortening their time to degree completion and empowering them to pursue advanced, post-bachelor’s opportunities faster than ever,” Byrd wrote. “I look forward to celebrating our students’ achievements alongside these esteemed educational partners as we work together to champion their futures.”
Burleson especially focused on a health care and biomedical science related pathway program because it identified them as fields that “continue to resonate with students.” Byrd also said that the health care field also made sense for a specialized pathway because it combines rigorous academics with a clear and direct connection to a specialized career. The district’s larger goal is to help students identify a post-graduate career field that fits their life goals.
“This collaboration is about expanding access and helping students build momentum sooner,” Byrd wrote. “It gives interested students the chance to start college coursework earlier, follow a more connected academic plan, and move forward with greater confidence about what comes next.”
Byrd also said Hill College and UNT Health Fort Worth were ideal partners for the pathway program because each institution offers something to students that the school district cannot do alone.
Hill College will provide students with the college-level courses while they are still in high school and UNT Health will provide the next steps after graduation and set them up in a program they can seamlessly transition into and complete in a shorter amount of time than the typical UNT Health student.
“The key benefit of this partnership is that it gives students options while saving families’ money by starting at Hill College for the associate’s degree and transitioning into UNT Health Fort Worth online,” Byrd wrote. “It includes both a broader structured dual credit opportunity and a more specialized biomedical pathway, which means students can choose the route that best fits their goals.”
