Davidson County Community College offers a variety of instructional programs that prepare students to accomplish one or more of the following:
- Prepare for employment opportunities (see Associate in Applied Science)
- Transfer to senior colleges and universities (see College Transfer)
- Achieve personal and professional educational goals
The College’s programs are offered in a variety of delivery methods: traditional face to face; hybrids, which are a mixture of some traditional class meetings with a significant online component; and completely online programs. Advisors are available to assist students in planning their programs to meet their educational goals. Refer to specific programs later in this section for more information.
College & Career Readiness
The College and Career Readiness program administers the following programs: Adult Basic Education (ABE), Adult High School (AHS), high school equivalency diploma preparation (GED® and other test options), English Language Acquisition (ELA), Get REAL Alternative High School, Workplace Basic Skills, College Placement testing review classes and Compensatory Education.
Students should call to get further information about entry days and times.
- Adult Basic Education (ABE) is a program of instruction designed to assist adults who wish to improve their skills in reading, grammar, written communications, and mathematics.
- English Language Acquisition (ELA), is a program of instruction designed for adults who are limited English proficient and whose primary language is not English.
- Adult High School Diploma (AHS) is a program of study that consists of core courses required by the Department of Public Instruction and the local public school systems. Along with the core courses, the College offers electives. Completing these courses enables students to receive an Adult High School Diploma once all graduation requirements are met.
- High School Equivalency is a program of instruction to prepare students for a series of tests which, when passed, certifies that the examinee has high school equivalency academic skills. The diploma is issued by the North Carolina Community College System when a student successfully completes the testing requirements.
- Get REAL (Real Educational Achievements for Life) assists youth between the ages of 16 and 21 obtain a high school credential, job skills, and employment. The program is offered collaboratively by DCCC and DavidsonWorks.
- Davie Campus eLink: Linking Education to Employment program serves out-of-school youth between the ages of 16 and 21 and is designed to assist students with basic skills education, life skills, and employability.
- Achieving College/Career Entry (ACE) is a program for students who would like to review reading, mathematics, or language before taking or retaking the College placement assessment.
- Compensatory Education (CED) offers educational opportunities to individuals with intellectual disabilities. These educational opportunities assist the participants in becoming more independent and self-directed.
- Distance Learning opportunities are available online in the following programs: ABE, AHS, ELA, High School Equivalency (HSE), and ACE.
- Backpacks to Briefcases is a program that allows students enrolled in High School Equivalency (HSE) or AHS programs to dually enroll in tuition and fee-waived college courses in identified career pathways.
College & Career Readiness Program Placement Guidelines
All students who enter College and Career Readiness programs are assessed to determine the appropriate level of placement. The assessment process determines the student’s current functional level to assure placement in the program which best meets the student’s needs and provides the appropriate instruction. Students entering ABE, AHS, and HSE, Get REAL and the College Placement Review (ACE) programs are assessed using the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE). Guidelines for placement based on these assessments are as follows:
- Individuals must score at or above each of the following grade levels on the assessment to enroll in high school completion programs:
- Reading 9.0
- Math 9.0
- Language 9.0
- Participants who score below these levels in one or more of the three areas are referred to ABE or ACE.
- Students enrolling in a high school completion program will be informed about both the AHS and HSE programs. Students may then choose the program that best suits their needs.
- Students in ELA and CED are assessed using specifically designed forms of the California Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS).
College and Career Readiness program placement guidelines are subject to change at any time.
Success & Study Skills
Success and Study Skills courses are designed to enhance a student’s success in college by improving skills in listening, note taking, test taking, time management, personal development, and resource usage. DCCC offers courses to develop sound study techniques and prepare for future academic opportunities.
Curriculum Program Options
Certificate Programs
Certificate programs are designed to provide students with skills necessary for employment and can generally be completed in one or two semesters on a full-time or part-time basis. In some curriculum areas, the courses earned in completing the certificate program count toward the diploma and/or the associate degree.
Diploma Programs
Diploma programs are designed to prepare students for employment and can generally be completed in three semesters on a full-time basis. In some curriculum areas, diploma programs are the equivalent of the first three semesters of the associate degree program, and courses earned in completing the diploma count toward the associate degree.
Associate Degree Programs
Students can generally complete associate degree programs in two years; however, this goal is dependent upon the students’ ability to carry an academic load of 14-16 credit hours each semester the students are enrolled. Students carrying a minimum full-time load of 12 credit hours should plan accordingly.
The College offers two types of associate degree programs: A degree program that has the immediate goal of employment upon completion of the degree (though increasingly students do have other options). This option is the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.). The second associate degree program tends to focus more on guiding students to completing the first two years of a four-year degree and then transferring to complete the bachelor’s degree; these programs include the following: Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.), and Associate in General Education (A.G.E.).
Students choosing to enter associate degree programs must meet educational aptitude requirements applicable to the individual program, and those who need preparation for college-level work are provided preparatory education to help them be successful in their chosen program of study.
The associate degree programs consist of three areas of study for students:
- Major course work - courses that guide students toward their “major” focus at the College.
- General education courses - courses in communication arts, social science, humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences that are designed to give a broad experience with the many components of human knowledge and to provide an understanding of our cultural and social heritage.
- Supporting courses - courses that are required for success in the major.
Philosophy of DCCC’s General Education Program
The faculty of Davidson County Community College are committed to student learning and believe that the best evidence of their commitment to the College’s service area is the quality of DCCC graduates. A DCCC graduate should combine their specialized interest exemplified by the program of study “major” and the general education core, which focuses broadly in skills, behaviors, knowledge, and understanding necessary to be a lifelong learner; an ethical and independent decision maker; a critical and creative thinker; a clear and effective communicator; and a responsible citizen of one’s community and of the world.
The character and abilities of an educated person are more than the sum of course work that leads to the hours required for a credential. Educated individuals are those who are engaged through the commitment of their time and their resources in the process of their education. The College faculty and staff also have a commitment and a responsibility to engage students and to foster the knowledge and sensibility of an educated person. Lastly, the College faculty and staff acknowledge that this commitment to the development of educated individuals belongs to the entire College community, not just to a single department or organizational unit.
General Education Competencies
In the 21st century, post-secondary education must guide the student’s ability to gather, comprehend, and evaluate information and then to communicate this information effectively.
Also, post-secondary education instills the awareness of values that further guide a student’s synthesis of this information into knowledge. Because such skills are important to lifelong learning and to participation in a global culture, DCCC graduates should demonstrate the following general education outcomes:
- Communicate effectively.
- Think critically.
- Demonstrate information literacy.
- Demonstrate interdependence.
To ensure that our students attain these Student Learning goals by graduation, DCCC requires that students:
- complete the general education core requirements listed in the students’ major program of study (see these courses/skills listed in the General Catalog under the headings of “degree program”) and
- reinforce these goals through a series of courses and learning experiences encountered by our students from their freshman experiences up to their matriculation from the College into their careers or into continued educational opportunities.
Technical Standards
Technical Standards list the skills and abilities that have been deemed essential for students to achieve program and learning outcomes. Technical Standards are available online and through the Admissions Office.
If you have a disability and think that you may require a reasonable accommodation to meet these Standards, please contact Disability Services at 336-249-8186, ext. 6342.
Distance Learning
The purpose of distance education at Davidson County Community College is to provide quality instruction and supplemental learning beyond the location and time-specific formats of traditional classes in various electronic formats that enhance access to programs and services, increase scheduling alternatives, and respond to diversity in learning styles.
Every effort is made to provide comparable services for both distance learning students and on-campus students. Services include but are not limited to: general information, advisement, registration, library resources, Moodle technical support, and tutoring.
Course Delivery Options
In addition to traditional face-to-face courses offered at various campus and off-campus sites, the College offers several course delivery options.
Hybrid Courses
Hybrid courses include a combination of teaching methods including, but not limited to, online instruction and on-campus classes.
Online Courses
Online courses are conducted over the Internet and typically do not have regular meetings in a physical space. At a minimum, students are required to have regular access to a computer running Windows 7 or a higher version, access to broadband Internet service, current version of Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Google Chrome, and Microsoft Office. Some online courses may have additional hardware and/or software requirements.
Some courses may require proctored testing or on-campus visits in order to complete portions of the course. Students will have access to a Moodle Orientation course. Moodle is the platform that is used for delivering DCCC’s online and hybrid courses as well as supplemental material for on-campus courses. Most class activities, including most instructor/student communications, are conducted via the College’s Moodle website.
Video Conferencing Courses
Video Conferencing courses consist of two or more sections of the same course being taught at the same time by the same instructor with students participating at different locations. Facilitated by College staff, students at the remote site(s) interact with the instructor and other students by way of audio and video equipment.
Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA)
The North Carolina Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) is a statewide agreement governing the transfer of credits between NC community colleges and NC public universities and has as its objective the smooth transfer of students. The CAA provides certain assurances to the transferring student; for example:
- Assures admission to one of the 16 UNC institutions (Transfer Assured Admissions Policy)
- Enables NC community college graduates of two-year Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degree programs who are admitted to constituent institutions of the University of NC to transfer with junior status.
For more information, view the NC Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (opens in new window) webpage.
Articulation with 4-year Institutions
Although the A.A.S. degree prepares students for immediate entry into the workforce, many students are electing to continue their education at senior colleges and universities. An increasing number of senior institutions are allowing graduates of selected A.A.S. degree programs to transfer some or all of their course work into baccalaureate degree programs. Refer to the listing of Associate in Applied Science programs as well as diploma and certificate programs for more information.
Davidson County Community College has entered into formal articulation agreements with some institutions that make it possible for graduates of certain associate degree programs to transfer to the senior institution with junior status. For a listing of current agreements visit https://www.davidsonccc.edu/articulation-agreements.
In cases where formal articulation agreements do not exist, the senior institution will evaluate the student’s transcript on a course-by-course basis and accept equivalent courses for transfer credit. A.A.S. students have successfully transferred on this basis to Appalachian State University, High Point University, North Carolina State University, UNC-Wilmington, and other institutions. It is the responsibility of each student to identify the college to which they are preparing to transfer and to confirm the transferability of any course in question. Assistance in this process can be provided by DCCC academic advisors, the General Catalog, and the transfer institution’s catalog and admissions staff.
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