| What is an AGEC and how will it help me? |
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An AGEC (Arizona General Education Curriculum) is a 35 semester credit general education program of study that fulfills lower-division general education requirements for students planning to transfer to any Arizona public community college or university and transfers as a block without loss of credit. |
| What is an Associate's degree? |
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A degree awarded by community colleges after a student completes a specified number of courses requirements and credit hours, generally a minimum of 60 semester credits. May be an Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Transfer Partnership (ATP), Associate in Business (ABus) or Associate in Science (AS) designed primarily for transfer to complete a baccalaureate degree; an Associate in Applied Science (AAS), designed primarily to enhance workplace skills and knowledge; or an Associate in General Studies (AGS), designed to fulfill students' goals of higher education. |
| What is a Bachelor's degree? |
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A degree awarded by a four-year college or university. Generally requires completion of 120 semester credits. Also referred to as a baccalaureate degree (e.g., BA or BS). |
| How many credits do I need to be full-time, 3/4 time, or half-time? |
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You need at least 12 credits to be considered a full-time student, 9-11credits for 3/4 time, and at least 6-8 credits to be half-time. |
| How long do classes last during each semester? |
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Most classes last 16 weeks during the fall or spring semester, however there may be some courses available for 8 weeks, on Saturdays, Online, and offered as a Hybrid classes. Generally, we offer 5 or 8 week courses in the summertime (June and July). See each class schedule for more information. |
| What is the total number of credits a university will accept? |
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In general, a university will generally accept up to 64 semester credits. Not all 100 level courses will transfer to a given university program so its best to contact an advisor or visit the Arizona Course Applicability System (AZCAS) (http://az.transfer.org/cas/students/index.html) web site to see how your AZ community college or university courses will work toward your major or selected university. |
| What do I need to do in order to enroll in classes? |
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You need to submit a Student Information form to register by phone 623-935-8888 or online http://www.estrellamountain.edu, then click register and login (if you try to enroll in any courses with listed prerequisites the online system will not allow enrollment since prerequisites cannot be verified) . Placement tests may be required for any English, Reading, or Math courses and some courses have prerequisites that need to be met before enrolling. |
| What if I have a problem with an instructor? What are my options? What is the process? |
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If you have a problem with your instructor it is best to discuss the problem with your instructor as soon as possible. If the situation cannot be resolved contact the department chair for that area and if that doesn't work then contact the Office of the Dean of Instruction as a last resort. (Note: If you need to withdraw/drop a course check the current refund schedule, you may not be eligible for a refund after a certain date). |
| How often should I meet with an advisor and under what circumstances? |
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We strongly recommend you meet with an advisor each semester and prior to selecting your classes based on your major, degree program, educational goals, or anytime you have questions related to your major, degree, or transfer institution. An advisor can be very helpful with any of the following questions: transferring to a university; identifying courses you need based on your major; university application requirements/deadlines; changing your major or degree program; reviewing and interpreting test scores; or if you are applying for graduation for a certificate or degree program. |
| When is the best time to register? |
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The key to getting the best schedule and classes you want/need is to register early. Generally, you can register at least 4-5 months before the next semester starts. The longer you wait the greater your chances of classes being closed or not working with your work/personal schedule. |
| What's the difference between an Online and Hybrid class? |
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An Online class can be accessed anywhere and anytime via the Internet and Web browser. A Hybrid class is a blend of face-to-face instruction with online learning and meets only once per week with an instructor. |
| What types of Online classes do you currently offer? |
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Currently we only offer computer classes online, please visit the class schedule for more details. However, if you are only interested in online classes you may want to check with our sister college Rio Salado http://www.rio.maricopa.edu/ because Rio offers several distance learning certificates, degree programs, and class options. |
| What types of programs/certificates does EMCC offer? |
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To see what programs/certificates EMCC offers click here
http://www.maricopa.edu/academic/curric/progem.php
To see what programs/certificates are offered at all Maricopa Community Colleges click here
http://www.maricopa.edu/academic/curric/ps.php |
| What's the cost per credit? |
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The current cost per credit hour for AZ residents (effective July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004 for Fall, Spring, and Summer I session) is $51.00 per credit plus a $5.00 registration fee, plus any applicable course or lab fees. Tuition is based on residency status. Residents must be domiciled in Arizona for one year and be domiciled in Maricopa County for at least 50 days.
Out of County Tuition
1-6 credits $76.00/credit hour
7+ credits* $210.00/credit hour
Out of State Tuition
1-6 credits $76.00/credit hour
7+ credits* $216.00/credit hour
*7+ credits includes all credits from any of the MCCCD colleges for the same semester. |
| What are lower division courses? |
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These are normally freshman and sophomore level courses (100-200) offered by a college. Community colleges offer ONLY lower division courses. Four year institutions offer lower division courses and upper division courses, which are junior and senior level (300-400) courses. |
| How can I tell if a community college course transfers to another AZ community college or university? |
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You can visit the AZCAS (Arizona Course Applicability System) web site http://az.transfer.org/cas/students/index.html
This website will only tell you how your course will transfer to an Arizona public college or university. It will not tell you how your course work will transfer to a private university or out of state. It will also provide AZ university transfer guides, and MAY help you with determining which degree pathway is right for you based on your major. |
| I'm having difficulty in my Math or Science class. How do I get help in these areas? |
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We strongly recommend you get help early on from your current instructor if available or get help in the NASA Center for Success in Math and Science. The NASA center offers free tutoring during certain scheduled and drop in times depending on your math and science classes. For more information please contact the NASA center at 623-935-8821or they are located in the Montezuma Bldg, Rm122. |
| What's the difference between an advisor and counselor? |
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An advisor is a counselor, faculty, or other designated staff member who has received training to provide students with academic information that will direct them to the appropriate classes to achieve their goals and enhance their success.
A counselor is a professionally trained staff member who helps students with educational, career, or personal concerns. |
| What if I haven't selected a major or career and need help selecting one? What classes can I focus on while I'm undecided? |
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You can always focus on your general education requirements, i.e., an AGEC (Arizona General Education Curriculum) while deciding on your major because your general education requirements are automatically included in the AGEC and can generally be applied toward most degree programs.
We also have career counselors available by appointment and they can conduct a career inventory to help you identify an area of interest or a major. You can also visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics web site and obtain a wealth of information on different careers like job descriptions, working conditions, salary information, job outlook, education/license/certification requirements, and general related links for that field. |
| I have obtained credits at other institutions. How do I get these credits transferred to EMCC and how do I know what courses I still need? |
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If you plan on obtaining a degree or certificate here you will need to request official copies of all your transcripts (from each institution) and send them to us. Once they have been received you also need to complete a Request for Transcript Evaluation form, otherwise they will not evaluated. The entire evaluation process will generally take a minimum of 6 weeks or more to complete depending on the number of transcripts received.
An advisor can review your transcripts from other institutions and can give you a general idea of how your courses may transfer here and be applied toward a degree/certificate program. However this will only be an unofficial course evaluation for guidance/enrollment purposes. Awarding college credit will solely be based on the official transcript evaluation once completed. |
| How do I apply for financial aid and generally how long does it take to be awarded? |
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Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible and the process can take anywhere from 6-8weeks+. Further information can be obtained from our Financial Aid web site. |
| I'm having difficulty in getting accepted/transferring to a university. Who can I talk to for help? |
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An advisor can review and answer general university admission questions or can help direct you if you are trying to get re-admitted. Depending on your transfer situation you may need to contact and work directly with the designated college or university Transfer Student Ombudsperson (TSO). A TSO can work with the designated university TSO to work out any transfer/admission problems you may encounter. |
| What are your requirements in order to start/enroll in college courses? |
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We do not require a high school diploma or GED (General Education Diploma) in order to take college courses. If you are interested in any English, Reading, or Math courses placement tests will generally be required to help identify your level in these areas. Note: Some certificates/degree programs may require a GED or High School Diploma for program admission, please check the appropriate college catalog or web site for more information. |
| What is the maximum number of credits I can take each semester? |
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The maximum number of credits a student can take is eighteen (18) credit hours. Students that desire to take more than eighteen (18) credits need approval from the designated college official. Generally, students must have a minimum GPA (grade point average) of a 3.0 or higher or must be in the upper quarter of their high school graduating class to receive approval. |
| What are placement tests? Why do I need to take placement tests? |
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There are two types of placement tests that you may need if you are planning on enrolling in any English, Math, or Reading courses. Theses tests help advisors place you in the appropriate level English, Math, or Reading classes. The first type is the ASSET placement test, this is a 25 minute timed test in each area. The second test is the COMPASS test, this test is an un-timed/adaptive test and may be beneficial to students that have difficulty or apprehensiveness when it comes to timed tests. Either test is acceptable for course placement and it is up to the student to determine which test is best. |
| I have more than 60 credits can I complete an Associate degree and graduate? |
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Generally, you do need a minimum of 60 credits to receive an Associate's degree at a community college. However, each Associate degree has specific requirements - just because you have 60 credits does not automatically mean you are eligible to receive a degree and some degrees require greater than 60 credits. You need to meet with an advisor to help identify the best degree/pathway for you based on your major or career interests because your major or goals may dictate the certificate or degree program. |
| I am ready to graduate what do I need to do? |
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First, you need to meet with an advisor to review your degree/certificate check sheet to make sure you have met all the requirements. Once all the all degree/certificate requirements are satisfied you can apply for graduation by completing a degree or certificate application - this form may also require an advisor's signature otherwise, it will not be accepted. Usually, graduation applications need to be submitted by the beginning of March (please check each graduation ceremony deadline) it also may still be possible to participate in the graduation ceremony if you complete the degree by that summer. |
