Academic Information

Planning an Academic Program

Length of program
Full-time students with appropriate high school credits can complete the requirements for an associate’s degree in two years. However, some students may need to make up deficiencies in certain areas. Others change their concentration or major or withdraw from one or more courses. Students who work may take fewer courses per semester. Any of these reasons may make it necessary for a student to spend more than four semesters at BCC. Courses may be taken in the summer for students who wish to shorten their time at BCC.

Changes of program
Students may change their program or areas of concentration by completing a change of program through the Enrollment Center or at the administrative offices at the other campuses. International students attending BCC on an F-1 visa must receive approval for program changes from the Registrar’s Office.

Grades already received in courses not applicable to the new program are omitted in computing the student’s GPA but remain on the permanent record. However, all grades already received in courses required in the new program are included in the GPA.

Transfer into certain programs, such as Culinary Arts, Clinical Laboratory Science, Complementary Healthcare, Dental Hygiene, Medical Assisting, Healthcare Information, Histology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Phlebotomy, Pre-Radiology Technology, and Therapeutic Massage may be limited by space available as well as by the competitive nature of these programs. Please refer to the description of the program of interest for additional information on admission requirements and the academic background of competitive applicants. All programs will be filled on space-available basis.

Transferring from a certificate program
Students who complete a certificate program and who wish to enroll in a degree program must complete a change of program form available in the Enrollment Center and administrative offices at the New Bedford Campus and Attleboro Center.

Transferring credits into BCC programs
Students who transfer into BCC from another regionally accredited college or university usually receive credit for courses that apply to their program with a grade of "C-" or better. Students may meet up to 30 credits of degree program requirements with credits transferred from another accredited college or university and/or credits earned through Prior Experiential Learning.

To qualify for a BCC degree, a transfer student must complete at least 30 of the last 36 credits required at the College and fulfill graduation requirements in the selected curriculum. Exceptions may be granted by petition. For certificate programs, half the required credits must be earned at BCC.

To receive credit for courses taken at any other institution while enrolled at BCC, students must obtain approval in advance. Forms are available in the Enrollment Center. Completed forms should be accompanied by the catalog from the other institution. The student must arrange to have transcripts of approved courses sent to the Registrar’s Office within six weeks of completing the course(s).

Earning a second degree from BCC
To qualify for a second associate’s degree, a student must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours beyond the first degree and meet all specific degree requirements of the second program.

Center for Developmental Education
Refer to the program description of the Center for Developmental Education for the General Studies Prep and TRiO/QUEST for Success programs.

Service-Learning
The Service-Learning program at BCC offers students a unique opportunity to combine classroom theory in any discipline with community practice in a non-profit agency and, at the same time, to develop a sense of social responsibility. While some community colleges require a minimum of 20 hours per service-learning experience over a semester, BCC requires a minimum of 10 hours. Along with performing the service itself, students complete one or more reflective exercises chosen by their instructor to enhance understanding of course content, appreciation of the discipline, and sense of civic engagement. Some BCC faculty incorporate service-learning into their syllabi as a requirement; others offer it as an option. If a student has a particular service-learning experience in mind but cannot find a course for it, s/he may be able to do it via Contract Learning. Many four-year colleges and universities require or strongly encourage service-learning, and prospective employers also look favorably on service-learning and other experiential learning activities.

Students who successfully complete service-learning will receive recognition of the activity on their academic transcripts by the notation "Service-Learning Component Course" following the course title and grade.

Commonwealth Honors Program
The Commonwealth Honors Program at BCC offers intellectually challenging experiences to highly motivated and gifted students in every discipline. It allows students to customize their experience in the Honors Program to their own individual needs and desires. The honors student works one-on-one with dedicated faculty members crafting intellectually stimulating experiences appropriate for the individual student. This independent work and the experience of one-on-one work with a faculty member will better prepare the honors student to continue his or her education at a four-year institution. The Honors Program also engages students in activities that will encourage them to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners..

Graduation requirements for Commonwealth Honors Scholars
To graduate with an associate’s degree as a Commonwealth Honors Scholar, a student must meet all the following criteria::

1. Meet all requirements for an associate degree in major/program.
2. Earn a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA while at BCC.
3. Earn a minimum of 30 credits completed at BCC.
4. Participate in a minimum of 4 honors experiences (10 honors credits), with a grade of at least B. These honors experiences could either be honors courses or honors component courses. At least 2 of these honors experiences (6 honors credits) must be taken at BCC.
   
   In the honors credits, a student must take:
• At least one interdisciplinary honors course (3 credits), for honors-level students only.
• A minimum of one writing intensive honors experience (3 credits).
• Complete an honors project (or possibly a thesis), directed by a faculty member, involving independent research. This one-credit culminating experience could grow from one of the three honors experiences, but it does not have to follow that path. Students may be required to present their projects as part of an honors day seminar
• Complete an honors project (or possibly a thesis), directed by a faculty member, involving independent research. This one credit culminating experience could grow from one of the three honors experiences, but it does not have to follow that path. Students may be required to present their projects as part of an honors day seminar.