KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 12, 2026

Kennesaw State University and Oglethorpe University are expanding their LINK partnership to offer more opportunities for students to earn an engineering degree from KSU and a physics degree from Oglethorpe.

The agreement was signed by Oglethorpe Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Gabriel Barreneche and Kennesaw State Vice Provost Sheb True alongside leaders from both institutions during a ceremony Friday on KSU’s Marietta Campus.

The partnership provides a pathway by which students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Physics at Oglethorpe, grounded in a liberal arts and sciences foundation, can seamlessly transfer into a bachelor’s degree program in Kennesaw State’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, the second-largest engineering college in Georgia. Additionally, Oglethorpe students who are completing a physics degree will have the option of an accelerated pathway to earn an engineering master’s degree from KSU.

“A broad, inquiry-driven education and a clear path into technical fields can and should go hand in hand. This partnership connects those experiences in a deliberate way,” Barreneche said. “By bringing together Oglethorpe’s strengths in the liberal arts and sciences with Kennesaw State’s engineering programs, we are giving students a more direct, more expansive set of opportunities to shape their future.”

The collaborative academic pathways between Kennesaw State and Oglethorpe enable students to transfer course credits seamlessly, apply to KSU at no cost, and have their transcripts shared between the two institutions. The bottom line for students is losing fewer credits through a more expedient transfer process and then earning two degrees in less time and at a lower cost than if they pursued the two separately.

State leadership including Gov. Brian Kemp and the Atlanta Metro Chamber of Commerce have identified expanding access to engineering programs as a strategic focus area to strengthen Georgia’s workforce development. In the University System of Georgia’s Engineering Pathway Program, Kennesaw State is one of five universities to which students can transfer to earn an engineering bachelor’s degree after beginning their engineering pathway coursework at another USG institution.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with Oglethorpe University,” said Ivan Pulinkala, KSU’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “This initiative reflects Kennesaw State University and Oglethorpe University’s shared commitment to student success, affordability and workforce development across Georgia.”

Oglethorpe students earning a B.S. in physics with a grade point average of at least 2.7 are eligible to pursue a bachelor’s degree in one of eight engineering programs at KSU: aerospace, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial and systems, mechanical, or mechatronics engineering. In the new bachelor’s-to-master’s pathway, Oglethorpe physics students with a GPA of at least 3.2 can enroll in an accelerated master’s degree program at Kennesaw State in intelligent robotics systems, engineering management, civil engineering, or mechanical engineering.

Oglethorpe will deliver foundational coursework in physics within a liberal arts curriculum with small class sizes, faculty mentorship, undergraduate research opportunities, advising and support to guide students through the LINK pathway and into advanced study. Kennesaw State will deliver engineering coursework and offer flexible class formats, including in-person, hybrid and online options, along with access to its engineering programs and resources.

– Story by Paul Floeckher

Photos by Matt Yung

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.