Dec 04, 2024  
2022-2023 Catalog and Student Handbook 
    
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2022-2023 Catalog and Student Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Degrees, Certificates, and Credentials

Your Eastern Shore Community College Transfer and Career Technical Programs are listed below. An explanation of those programs appears below each program list.

Academic Program Types

As a comprehensive institution of higher education, Eastern Shore Community College offers transfer and career/technical programs generally extending no longer than two years beyond the high school level.

The college transfer degrees include first year and second-year courses in arts and sciences and pre-professional programs designed to meet standards acceptable for transfer to baccalaureate (four-year) degree programs. ESCC transfer courses are designed to be equivalent to those offered at four-year institutions to ensure maximum transferability.

The Associate of Arts and Science degrees (AA&S) are awarded to students majoring in specialized pre-professional programs or programs with a heavy emphasis on general education coursework who may plan to transfer to a four-year college or university after completing their community college program.

The Certificate in General Education program offers students an opportunity to combine courses to meet a subset of lower-level general education requirements needed at a four-year college or university. This program is not intended to meet all lower-level general education requirements and federal financial aid cannot be used for this program.

In selecting courses, students are expected to follow curricula guides for their intended majors and specializations. Students who plan to transfer to four-year colleges or universities are urged to acquaint themselves with the requirements of the institutions and major departments to which they intend to transfer. With careful planning, students may be able to meet both general education requirements and prerequisites for majors with the same courses, allowing greater flexibility in selecting electives. Students should consult counselors or academic advisors to select courses most appropriate for their curricula. Many ESCC courses are transferable as general electives even if they do not fulfill core requirements.

Two-Year College Transfer Grant

The Two-Year College Transfer Grant Program (CTG) was enacted into law in Virginia in 2007. Under this program, qualified students who complete their associate degrees at Virginia two-year public colleges and then transfer to participating Virginia four-year colleges or universities may receive the CTG award.

For more information, go to www.schev.edu (click on Financial Aid) or the Financial Aid office at your intended four-year transfer institution. Additional information is available from the Virginia Education Wizard at www.vawizard.org/wizard/transfer-planning-tool.

Career and Technical Education Degrees and Certifications

Career and technical education degree, certificate, and career studies certificate programs prepare students for employment. These programs are designed to meet regional demand for technicians, paraprofessionals, and skilled craft workers, and specialized office workers in industry, business, government, and other professional fields. These programs normally require two years or less of training beyond high school to prepare students for success in meeting the demands in business, health and medicine, industry, service, and other technical and occupational fields. Students may access gainful employment consumer information for each certificate and career studies certificate program offered by the college at https://es.vccs.edu/.

Associate of Applied Science degrees (A.A.S.) are awarded to students majoring in one of the curricula with an emphasis on career and technical coursework. Students pursuing these degrees may plan to seek full-time employment immediately upon graduation from college.

Certificates are awarded to students who complete career and technical education curricula consisting of a minimum of 30 semester credit hours in occupational areas.

Career Studies Certificates are awarded to students who complete career and technical education curricula consisting of 9-29 semester credit hours in occupational areas

In selecting courses, students are expected to follow the curricula guides for their intended majors and specializations. Where appropriate, students may select courses from lists of approved courses to meet requirements in the degrees or certificates. While general education courses other than those designed specifically for transfer may be used to meet portions of the general education requirements, principles published by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges require that general education courses be general in nature and not “…narrowly focused on those skills, techniques, and procedures peculiar to a particular occupation or profession.” A.A.S. degrees generally are not designed for transfer, but students can increase the transferability of selected applied degrees by substituting transfer courses where appropriate to meet program requirements.

Associate of Arts and Sciences Degree

Associate of Applied Science Degree

Certificate

Career Studies Certificate

Workforce Programs