CIP 14.0101
Degree: Career Studies Certificate
Program Code: 221-831-01
Program Length: 1 year - 2 Semesters
Minimum Credits: 28
Distance Learning Option Available

Program Advisor
Brian Hale
276.964.7550
Davis Hall Room 228

Purpose: The Career Studies Certificate (CSC) in Pre-Engineering will allow students interested in pursuing an engineering degree an opportunity to learn more about the field and prepare them for formal engineering study in the Associate of Arts and Science (AA&S) in engineering program. Students frequently come to SWCC lacking math preparation for engineering study. These students must spend between two and five semesters improving their math skills before getting the opportunity to take an engineering course. Occasionally these students discover, after taking their first engineering course, that engineering is not what they expected and therefore change majors ultimately delaying degree completion. This CSC program, with its lower math requirement of pre-calculus, would let students learn more about the engineering field while getting the proper background for studying engineering. This pre-engineering program presents a guided pathway toward completing an AA&S degree in Engineering and improving overall student success.

Admission Requirements: Students must meet the general admission requirements established by Southwest Virginia Community College.

Content: The CSC consists of several general education courses that could be used in the Engineering Associates program or another program of their choosing. Each of the required general education course options will be limited to those courses that have been approved for transfer to most colleges and universities. An additional course, MEC 100 , is added to shoulder the responsibility of introducing students to the engineering major/career. This two-credit course will not only Introduce students to the major, but also bring those students up to the same level of competence as students that may have had high school coursework or experience related to engineering.