Academics - Shawnee Community College

Shawnee Community College offers several types of instructional programs designed to meet a broad range of student objectives. Career programs in these different areas prepare students for immediate entry into employment in a wide variety of professional fields.

SCC’s transfer programs provide an opportunity for students to complete the first two years of a traditional four-year college or university curriculum.

The college’s other instructional programs include; the General Studies Program for students who wish to earn a degree but not in a specific career or transfer area, the Continuing Education Program which includes courses and workshops designed to enhance personal and professional growth, and the GED Program for adults who wish to earn a high school equivalency diploma.

Baccalaureate Degrees

Southern Illinois University

Students can earn their degree from Southern Illinois University, but their class work will take place on the Shawnee College campus. This partnership between Shawnee and SIU began during the fall 2007 semester. Three disciplines through SIU are available.

The Early Childhood Preschool/Primary degree is for students interested in teaching children grades Pre-K through 3rd Grade.
The Workforce Education program is designed for anyone with an Associate’s degree to earn a bachelor’s degree.
- The Parole Officer degree with the Workforce Education Program gives correctional officers employed by the Illinois Department of Corrections credit for their academy training.

Escrow Program

To enroll in the Escrow program, please consult your high school guidance counselor.

Shawnee Community College will accept students currently enrolled in high school that meet these guidelines:

Be ranked in the upper 40% of his/her graduating class, be at least 16 years of age and be enrolled in a college preparatory curriculum.
Have successfully completed three years of high school English prior to enrolling in an English course.
Have successfully completed three years of high school math prior to enrolling in a math course.
Have successfully completed the ASSET or COMPASS examination with the required score to enter ENG 111, transfer level math, or any other academic class and be performing on the required reading level.
Submit a copy of his/her high school transcript along with the Student Information Form and Escrow Application signed by a high school official and a parent/guardian
Eight semester hours of credit are the maximum number of hours a student can enroll in during any given semester.
Students must maintain a Shawnee Community College GPA of 2.0 or above to continue in the Escrow Program.

Advanced Honors Program Admission

In addition to the regular escrow requirements, the student must also meet the following requirements:

Must be selected by his/her high school guidance counselor.
Fill out an application for the Advanced Honors Program.
Be ranked in the upper 20% of his/her class (using all high school grades assigned up to the time of application).
Have a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 3.25, based on the 4.0 scale.
Maintain a minimum cumulative SCC GPA of 3.0, based on the 4.0 scale.
The student’s schedule of SCC courses is officially approved each semester by the high school official and the SCC Registrar.

Honors Escrow students get a tuition/fee waiver and a book loan, making attending SCC virtually free.

Dual Credit Program

Dual Credit is a challenging course of study allowing high school students to gain knowledge and skills through a sequence of both academic and CTE courses preparing students for lifelong learning.

Students must meet the testing requirements in order to take Dual Credit classes. Those requirements can be found here.

The Shawnee Community College Dual Credit program is a partnership with all 12 local high schools. The partnership enables high school students to begin earning college credit while simultaneously earning high school credit, all while within their own high school environment.

All state laws, ICCB regulations, accreditation standards, specified by the Higher Learning Commission, and local college policies, that apply to courses, instructional procedures and academic standards at the college apply to college-level courses offered by the college on campus, at off-campus sites, and at secondary schools. These policies, regulations, instructional procedures and academic standards apply to students, faculty and staff associated with these courses.

Shawnee Community College Adheres to the Administrative Rules Set by the Illinois Community College Board in section 1401.507