The Schools and Academic Programs at WCC

There are four Schools at Westchester Community College which in total offer 60 academic programs from which you can choose. The Schools have organized their programs to provide students with clear pathways to enable to complete their degrees and to achieve their goals and dreams.

The Schools at WCC are:

• School of Arts, Humanities and Social Science
• School of Business and Professional Careers
• School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering
• School of Health Careers, Technology and Applied Learning

Key Terms

School: WCC academic programs are clustered into related interest groups or Schools. Each School provides students with an academic home and allows for purposeful outreach and strategic support.

Program: WCC academic programs refer to the requirements leading to a specific degree or certificate. WCC offers over 60 degree and certificate programs.

Major: Your major is the academic discipline you commit to as an undergraduate student. An area you specialize in, such as accounting, chemistry, criminology, archaeology, digital arts, or dance, each major contains core courses and electives. When you applied to Westchester Community College you selected a major, and that major belongs to one of the four Schools at WCC.

During your first semester, you will want to check the major listed in your Degree Works to be sure it is correct. Then you will want to take some time to map out the classes needed to complete the major. Information about how to do those important tasks is offered later in this chapter.

Your major is important because it’s a defining and organizing feature of your academic career. Ultimately, your major should provide you with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors you need to fulfill your college goals and objectives. When you successfully complete the required courses in your major, you qualify for a degree.

Degrees Offered at WCC

Each of the Schools includes many different degrees and pathways, including Certificates, Applied Associate’s Degrees (to enter a career after WCC), and Associate’s Degrees (to transfer to another college after WCC). Whatever School you are part of, it is important to stay connected to your resources (your professors, tutors, advisors, academic counselors etc.) to make sure you are on track to succeed and graduate.

Liberal Arts Majors

The purpose of a Liberal Arts degree is to ensure that students receive a well-rounded education. Liberal Arts coursework provides students with skills and knowledge that cut across all majors, such as written and oral communication, ethical decision-making, and critical thinking, which are necessary in all careers.

There are several reasons students choose Liberal Arts as a major, including to explore a variety of disciplines and/or to transfer to a 4-year institution. If a student’s ultimate career goal is not offered at MCC—pharmacy or forestry for example—then a focused liberal arts track in one of MCC’s Schools is an appropriate major for them. Liberal Arts options are available for each of the seven Schools.

How to Select Your College Major (if you haven’t already)

Some students have difficulty selecting a major, so WCC offers Academic and Career Counseling to help. Selecting your major is one of the most exciting tasks you are asked to perform in college. Although many decisions are tied to choosing a major, if you have good guidance, patience, and enthusiasm, the process is easier.

The video below offers the following five tips to assist students with that process:

1. Seek inspiration
2. Consider everything
3. Identify talents and interests
4. Explore available resources
5. Investigate career options

https://youtu.be/8I_Qw2NfSq0

ROAD MAP TO SUCCESS

As mentioned above, one of the purposes of Schools at WCC is to help students get on an academic path that is appropriate for them and to support them to stay on that path until they complete their course of study. The following guide provides a road map for students to help them identify important benchmarks to achieve along their path to graduation:

During your first semester . . .

• Connect with your Academic Counselor
• Reaffirm your major in Degree Works
• Review your semester-by-semester course plan in Degree Works
• Explore career and transfer plans
• Connect to academic, financial, and personal resources
• Check your WCC email daily
• Watch for early alert messages through Viking Success
• Join a student club
• Register for the next semester

During every subsequent semester . . .

• Connect with your counselor
• Reaffirm your major in Degree Works
• Review your semester-by-semester course plan and track your progress in Degree Works
• Refine graduation, transfer, and career plans
• Continue to connect to academic, financial, and personal resources
• Attend Schools and campus events
• Consider leadership in a student club or student government organization
• Update your resume and attend a workshop event in the Career Services Office