As a comprehensive institution of higher education, Tidewater Community College offers transfer and career/technical programs generally extending no longer than two years beyond the high school level.
Career and Technical Education Degrees and Certificates
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, 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 agriculture, business, engineering, health and medicine, industry, service, and other technical and occupational fields.
Associate of Applied Arts degrees (A.A.A.) and 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.
College Transfer Degrees
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. TCC transfer courses are designed to be equivalent to those offered at four-year institutions to ensure maximum transferability.
Associate of Arts degrees (A.A.) are awarded to students majoring in liberal arts who may plan to transfer to a four-year college or university after completing their community college program.
Associate of Science degrees (A.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.
Associate of Fine Arts degrees (A.F.A.) are awarded to students majoring in fine or performing arts programs. The A.F.A. degree is designed for students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university. However, fine and performing arts courses may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and students may need additional courses to fulfill lower-level general education requirements at a four-year college or university.
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.
State Policy on Transfer
The State Policy on College Transfer, approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in 2016, seeks to improve transfer for Virginia’s students. Details on the state transfer policy are available at schev.edu.
Guaranteed Admission and Transfer Agreements
Tidewater Community College works with baccalaureate degree granting institutions to develop agreements to assist TCC students in their transfer. The VCCS also negotiates Guaranteed Admission Agreements (GAA) with four-year institutions. These agreements guarantee admission to qualified students enrolled in any community college in the VCCS.
GAA and transfer agreements apply only to graduates of the degrees designated in the agreements. Students interested in transferring to a four-year institution prior to completing associate degrees must apply through the transfer institution’s competitive admissions process, and transferability of course work will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis.
To review these agreements, visit TCC’s website at tcc.edu, search keywords: transfer agreements. Additionally, students are advised to consult frequently with advisors or counselors for the most accurate information on transfer.
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 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 vawizard.org/wizard/transfer-planning-tool.
Developmental Studies
Developmental courses prepare students for admission to the college’s various programs by helping them develop the basic skills and understanding necessary to succeed in college-level courses. Some students may require placement testing to determine whether they are required to enroll in developmental courses. Additional information is available at tcc.edu, search keywords: placement tests.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
TCC offers remedial ESL courses to prepare students for college-level courses. ESL consists of four levels: Intermediate I and II, Advanced, and Bridge.
Continuing Education
Continuing Education programs make lifelong learning possible for residents of the college’s service area. These programs include credit and non-credit courses and are offered during day, evening, and weekend hours. For additional information, go to workforce.tcc.edu.
Workforce Solutions
Tidewater Community College offers training programs and courses for business, industry, and government clients to ensure their employees have the right knowledge and skills for optimum job performance. TCC’s workforce development programs assist businesses in retaining valuable associates by offering courses at the college’s or client’s on-site location. In addition, the college’s business, industry and government training centers offer customized training, as well as traditional credit courses, certification programs, collaboration services, teleconferencing, and other business-essential services. Call (757) 822-1234 for additional information.
Registered Apprenticeship Programs Through TCC
TCC is a provider of Apprenticeship-Related Instruction (ARI) for students participating in employer-sponsored registered apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeship programs vary in length from one to six years depending on the occupation. In addition to TCC’s long-standing partnership with the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, TCC’s Apprenticeship Institute works with more than 30 company sponsors to develop curriculum programs and to monitor student progress. Upon completion of ARI course work and on-the-job training, the apprentice is awarded a journeyperson certificate issued by the United States Department of Labor or Virginia Department of Labor and Industry. For additional information, contact the Apprenticeship Institute at 757-822-1504.
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