New Jersey City University (NJCU) announced a major expansion of its international partnership with Caucasus University (CU) in Tbilisi, Georgia, signing a comprehensive agreement that will add five new dual degree programs. This move builds upon the university’s existing collaboration in cybersecurity.
The expansion adds degrees in high-demand fields including Media Arts, Political Science, Psychology, Graphic Arts and Design, and Business Analytics and Data Science. This brings the total number of dual-degree offerings between the two institutions to six.
Under the accelerated three-year model, students will complete their first two intensive years of study at Caucasus University before spending their final year in residence at NJCU’s Jersey City campus. During this third year, they will complete 30 credits to earn bachelor’s degrees from both institutions.
A significant investment in global education
The first cohorts for the new programs are slated to begin their studies at CU in 2026 and matriculate to NJCU in 2028. Coupled with the existing cybersecurity program, the partnership is projected to bring a minimum of 115 Caucasus University students to NJCU annually. When fully realized, the programs are estimated to generate an economic value of approximately $20 million throughout the life of the partnership.
“This expanded partnership with Caucasus University represents exactly the kind of innovative, academically rigorous international collaboration that positions our students for success in an increasingly interconnected world,” NJCU President Andrés Acebo said. “By creating pathways for students to earn degrees from both institutions… we’re building bridges that will benefit students, faculty, and our broader communities for generations to come.”
The expanded agreement reinforces the strategic relationship established in February 2025 with the renewal of their cybersecurity dual degree, which allows students to earn degrees in cybersecurity from NJCU and computer science from CU. All joint programs are delivered entirely in English.
Synergies with the Kean merger
The expansion of this international program comes as NJCU prepares for its tentative merger with Kean University to form Kean Jersey City, scheduled for completion by June 2026. Kean University has expressed full support for the agreement, viewing it as a catalyst for NJCU’s international program development.
Felice Vazquez, Kean’s chancellor of international campuses, noted Kean’s history of global engagement, citing their campus in Wenzhou, China, and multiple study abroad partnerships. She added that Kean is “proud to support NJCU’s international ambitions and the growing relationship with Caucasus University.”
The Memorandums of Agreement became effective on Sept. 19, establishing an exclusivity arrangement. Under this agreement, NJCU will not seek new dual degree partnerships with other Georgian institutions, and Caucasus University will not pursue similar collaborations with institutions in New Jersey or New York during the contract term.
The new programs require minimum enrollments of 20 students for most disciplines, ensuring the sustained collaboration emphasizes deep curricular integration and shared academic values. The six-year agreement covers cohorts beginning through fall 2031, with the final joint class graduating from NJCU in spring 2034.
