Petoskey’s North Central Michigan College opens a two-years-at-home path to Ferris State pharmacy and optometry degrees

PETOSKEY, Mich. — Students at North Central Michigan College can now start on the road to becoming a pharmacist or an optometrist without leaving northern Michigan for their first two years, under a new agreement with Ferris State University.

The two schools signed a three-year deal that sets up transfer pathways from North Central’s Associate of Science in Biology into Ferris State’s College of Pharmacy and its Michigan College of Optometry in Big Rapids, according to announcements from both colleges. Leaders met Oct. 10 to formalize the partnership, North Central said.

North Central has its main campus in Petoskey and centers in Cheboygan and Gaylord, plus online classes, Ferris State noted.

How the pathway works. A North Central student who finishes the associate degree in biology can transfer to Ferris State’s Pre-Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy programs, or into the track toward a Doctor of Optometry. Along the way, students may also earn a bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical science or vision science, but neither is required for the professional doctorate, both schools said. WPBN reported that the agreement lets community college students carry two years of credit to Ferris State.

Why the programs matter. Ferris State’s pharmacy college is one of three in Michigan and traces its start to 1893, the university said. Its optometry college has trained students for more than 50 years and until last year was the only program of its kind in the state.

Brent LaFaive, North Central’s dean of nursing, health sciences and public safety, said the region’s biggest problem is young people leaving and not coming back while the older population grows. “They deserve to have health care. The younger people deserve to have job opportunities,” said LaFaive, who has worked as a nurse in northern Michigan for 32 years. He said the pathways let students “stay in Northern Michigan for their first two years of college, then transfer to Ferris State, complete their degree in pharmacy or optometry and move back and serve the people that they grew up with.”

Ferris State President Bill Pink said pharmacy and optometry graduates “not only go into jobs, they go into career paths, and that’s what feeds your family for a lifetime.” North Central President David Finley said the Petoskey area has “extraordinary seasonal wealth, but also abject poverty,” and pointed to the college’s open door for students of all ages.

What this means for you. For a family in Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan or Otsego County, two years at the community college close to home can cost much less than two years living on a university campus, and the agreement spells out where those credits lead. High school students eyeing a health career can start with North Central’s biology associate degree, and current students should talk with an adviser now so their classes line up with Ferris State’s pharmacy or optometry requirements. The announcements did not say whether pathway students are guaranteed a seat in the doctoral programs, so ask both schools about admission requirements before you plan around it.

Sources:
North Central Michigan College, “North Central, Ferris State establish pharmacy and optometry transfer pathways” (three-year agreement, Oct. 10 meeting, degree details, LaFaive quote), https://www.ncmich.edu/community-events/news-and-press-releases/ncmc-ferris-state-pharmacy-optometry-transfer-pathways.html
Ferris State University, “Ferris State, North Central Michigan College create transfer pathways for students to earn Optometry, Pharmacy degrees and address healthcare access challenges,” 2026 (program history, campuses, Pink, LaFaive and Finley quotes), https://www.ferris.edu/news/archive/2026/ferris-state-north-central-michigan-college-transfer-pathways-optometry-pharmacy-degrees-healthcare-access.htm
WPBN/UpNorthLive, “NCMC and Ferris State partner to expand pharmacy, optometry training in northern Michigan,” Oct. 16, 2026, https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/ncmc-and-ferris-state-partner-to-expand-pharmacy-optometry-training-in-northern-michigan-emmet-county-mecosta-county
Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Central_Michigan_College.jpg

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