Schools at WCC

Each semester

The following is part of a checklist for each semester. What did you complete before this semester? What do you need to complete for next semester?

  • Explore the opportunities offered by the Schools at WCC 
  • Explore TRANSFER and CAREER options
  • Apply for admission to WCC – choose you major
  • Visit campus
  • Complete placement activities (placement testing, send transcripts, etc.)
  • Activate online accounts and download apps (WCC email, Viking Success, Blackboard etc.)
  • See an Academic Counselor
  • Learn about DegreeWorks *(insert DegreeWorks presentation)*
  • Create a financial plan for college and apply for Financial Aid and Scholarships
  • Register for classes
  • Register for and attend New Student Orientation
  • Get your student ID
  • Get class materials

In the section below, you will find additional benchmarks to measure your progress each semester.

Wooden deck path through scrub brush surrounded by a snow capped mountain range

Success doesn’t come to you . . . you go to it. —Dr. Marva Collins, civil rights activist and educator

 

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:

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

Holland Code

Based on the research of Dr. John Holland, majors and careers can be clustered into six broad interest areas that correspond to six different personality types. The Holland Codes may be used to illustrate how you may find your area of interest in one of the WCC Schools. Please note that this system is only a starting point that provides a preliminary way to identify majors and careers that might be a satisfying fit for you.

Review the information below to help you determine your specific Holland Code. First, read the six descriptions and identify the three that describe you best. Those three letters together comprise your Holland Code, and that code, along with other assessments and advisement, can help you choose a career that will fit your personality and your style.Holland Codes diagram

Artistic (Creators)

People who have artistic, innovating, or intuitional abilities and like to work in unstructured situations using their imagination and creativity.

  • Are you? creative, imaginative, innovative, unconventional, emotional, independent, expressive, original, introspective, impulsive, sensitive, courageous, complicated, idealistic, nonconforming
  • Can you? sketch; draw; paint; play a musical instrument; write stories, poetry, or music; sing; act; dance; design fashions or interiors
  • Like to? attend concerts, theatre, and art exhibits; read fiction, plays, and poetry; work on crafts; take photographs; express yourself creatively; deal with ambiguous ideas
Career Possibilities (Holland Code)
Actor (AES)  Drama Coach (ASE)  Librarian (SAI)
Advertising Art Director (AES)  English Teacher (ASE)  Medical Illustrator (AIE)
Advertising Manager (ASE)  Entertainer/Performer (AES  Museum Curator (AES)
 Architect (AIR)  Fashion Illustrator (ASR)  Music Teacher (ASI)
 Art Teacher (ASE)  Interior Designer (AES)  Photographer (AES)
 Artist (ASI)  Intelligence Research Specialist (AEI)  Writer (ASI)
 Copy Writer (ASI)  Journalist/Reporter (ASE)  Graphic Designer (AES)
 Dance Instructor (AER)  Landscape Architect (AIR)

Enterprising (Persuaders)

People who like to work with people, influencing, persuading, leading or managing for organizational goals or economic gain.

  • Are you? self-confident, assertive, persuasive, energetic, adventurous, popular, ambitious, agreeable, talkative, extroverted, spontaneous, optimistic
  • Can you? initiate projects; convince people to do things; sell things; give talks or speeches; organize activities; lead a group; persuade others
  • Like to? make decisions; be elected to office; start your own business; campaign politically; meet important people; have power or status
Career Possibilities (Holland Code)
Advertising Executive (ESA) Emergency Medical Technician (ESI) Personnel Recruiter (ESR)
Advertising Sales Rep (ESR) Entrepreneur (ESA) Politician (ESA)
Banker/Financial Planner (ESR) Foreign Service Officer (ESA) Public Relations Rep (EAS)
Branch Manager (ESA) Funeral Director (ESR) Retail Store Manager (ESR)
Business Manager (ESC) Insurance Manager (ESC) Sales Manager (ESA)
Buyer (ESA) Interpreter (ESA) Sales Representative (ERS)
Chamber of Commerce Exec (ESA) Lawyer/Attorney (ESA) Social Service Director (ESA)
Credit Analyst (EAS) Lobbyist (ESA) Stockbroker (ESI)
Customer Service Manager (ESA) Office Manager (ESR) Tax Accountant (ECS)
Education & Training Manager (EIS)

Social (Helpers)

People who like to work with people to enlighten, inform, help, train, or cure, or who are skilled with words.

  • Are you? friendly, helpful, idealistic, insightful, outgoing, understanding, cooperative, generous, responsible, forgiving, patient, kind
  • Can you? teach/train others; express yourself clearly; lead a group discussion; mediate disputes; plan and supervise an activity; cooperate with others
  • Like to? work in groups; help people with problems; do volunteer work; work with young people; serve others
Career Possibilities (Holland Code)
City Manager (SEC) Insurance Claims Examiner (SIE) Real Estate Appraiser (SCE)
Clinical Dietitian (SIE) Librarian (SAI) Recreation Director (SER)
College/University Faculty (SEI) Medical Assistant (SCR) Registered Nurse (SIA)
Community Org. Director (SEA) Minister/Priest/Rabbi (SAI) Teacher (SAE)
Consumer Affairs Director (SER) Paralegal (SCE) Social Worker (SEA)
Counselor/Therapist (SAE) Park Naturalist (SEI) Speech Pathologist (SAI)
Historian (SEI) Physical Therapist (SIE) Vocational-Rehab. Counselor (SEC)
Hospital Administrator (SER) Police Officer (SER) Volunteer Services Director (SEC)
Psychologist (SEI) Probation or Parole Officer (SEC)

Realistic (Doers)

People who have athletic ability, prefer to work with objects, machines, tools, plants or animals, or to be outdoors.

  • Are you? practical, straightforward, frank, mechanically inclined, stable, concrete, reserved, self-controlled, independent, ambitious, systematic
  • Can you? fix electrical things; solve electrical problems; pitch a tent; play a sport; read a blueprint; plant a garden; operate tools and machines
  • Like to? tinker with machines or vehicles; work outdoors; be physically active; use your hands; build things; care for or train animals; work on electronic equipment
Career Possibilities (Holland Code)
Air Traffic Controller (SER) Fish and Game Warden (RES) Officer (SER)
Archaeologist (IRE) Floral Designer (RAE) Forester (RIS) Practical Nurse (SER)
Athletic Trainer (SRE) Geodetic Surveyor (IRE) Property Manager (ESR)
Cartographer (IRE) Technology Teacher (IER) Recreation Manager (SER)
Commercial Airline Pilot (RIE) Laboratory Technician (RIE) Service Manager (ERS)
Commercial Drafter (IRE) Landscape Architect (AIR) Software Technician (RCI)
Corrections Officer (SER) Mechanical Engineer (RIS) Ultrasound Technologist (RSI)
Dental Technician (REI) Optician (REI) Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant (ESR)
Farm Manager (ESR) Petroleum Geologist (RIE)

Conventional (Organizers)

People who like to work with data, carry out tasks in detail, follow through on others’ instructions, and may have clerical or numerical ability.

  • Are you? well-organized, accurate, numerically inclined, methodical, conscientious, efficient, conforming, practical, thrifty, systematic, structured, polite, ambitious, obedient, persistent
  • Can you? work well within a system; do a lot of paperwork in a short time; keep accurate records; use a computer terminal; write effective business letters
  • Like to? follow clearly defined procedures; use data processing equipment; work with numbers; type or take shorthand; be responsible for details; collect or organize things
Career Possibilities (Holland Code)
Abstractor (CSI) Computer Operator (CSR) Insurance Underwriter (CSE)
Accountant (CSE) Congressional-District Aide (CES) Internal Auditor (ICR)
Administrative Assistant (ESC) Cost Accountant (CES) Kindergarten Teacher (ESC)
Budget Analyst (CER) Court Reporter (CSE) Medical Records Technician (CSE)
Business Manager (ESC) Credit Manager (ESC) Museum Registrar (CSE)
Business Programmer (CRI) Editorial Assistant (CSI) Paralegal (SCE)
Business Teacher (CSE) Elementary School Teacher (SEC) Safety Inspector (RCS)
Catalog Librarian (CSE) Financial Analyst (CSI) Tax Accountant (ECS)
Claims Adjuster (SEC) Insurance Manager (ESC) Tax Consultant (CES)
Travel Agent (ECS)

Investigative (Thinkers)

People who like to observe, learn, investigate, analyze, evaluate, or solve problems.

  • Are you? inquisitive, analytical, scientific, observant, precise, scholarly, cautious, intellectually self-confident, independent, logical, complex, curious
  • Can you? think abstractly; solve math problems; understand scientific theories; do complex calculations; use a microscope or computer; interpret formulas
  • Like to? explore a variety of ideas; work independently; perform lab experiments; deal with abstractions; do research; be challenged
Career Possibilities (Holland Code)
Actuary (ISE) Dentist (ISR) Nurse Practitioner (ISA)
Agronomist (IRS) Ecologist (IRE) Pharmacist (IES)
Anesthesiologist (IRS) Economist (IAS) Physician, General Practice (ISE)
Anthropologist (IRE) Electrical Engineer (IRE) Psychologist (IES)
Archaeologist (IRE) Geologist (IRE) Research Analyst (IRC)
Biochemist (IRS) Horticulturist (IRS) Statistician (IRE)
Biologist (ISR) Mathematician (IER) Surgeon (IRA)
Chemical Engineer (IRE) Medical Technologist (ISA) Technical Writer (IRS)
Chemist (IRE) Meteorologist (IRS) Veterinarian (IRS)
Computer Systems Analyst (IER)