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Concurrent Enrollment

 

CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT

PTCC’s Concurrent Enrollment Program allows high school students the opportunity to take college-level courses at their high school, taught by college-approved high school teachers.  Students earn both college credit and high school credit, have access to all student activities, academic resources, and professional staff that are a part of any college experience. As equally important, students will be held to the same academic standards as on-campus students.  

Getting Started

PTCC has created a concurrent enrollment orientation video for students interested in taking concurrent enrollment courses. This orientation video will provide an overview of concurrent enrollment program, discuss what it takes to be a successful college student, review eligibility requirements, FERPA information, and much more. The intended outcome of this video is to provide students with the information they need to make an informed choice about taking concurrent enrollment classes.

To participate in concurrent enrollment courses, students must meet both Concurrent Enrollment eligibility requirements and course placement requirements. Students who do not meet the Concurrent Enrollment eligibility requirements may submit a waiver.  

Concurrent Enrollment Eligibility Requirements

Seniors

  • Be in the upper one-half of class or have a test score at or above the 50th percentile on any nationally standardized, norm-referenced test such, or 
  • Have a high school GPA of 2.5 or higher, and 
  • Meet course placement requirements as determined by assessment score (such as ACCUPLACER, ACT, MCA)  

Juniors

  • Be in the upper one-third of class or have a test score at or above the 70th percentile on any nationally standardized, norm-referenced test, or 
  • Have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher for general education courses or a GPA of 2.5 or higher for career and technical education courses, and 
  • Meet course placement requirements as determined by assessment score (such as ACCUPLACER, ACT, MCA) 

Sophomores and Freshmen

  • Rank in the upper one-tenth of class, or  
  • Attain a score at or above the 90th percentile on a nationally standardized, norm-referenced test, or  
  • Have a high school grade point average of 3.0 or higher for liberal arts and CTE courses, and  
  • Have a favorable recommendation from a designated high school official

Course Placement Requirements

Most concurrent enrollment courses require that students have met specific benchmarks (such as GPA, MCA, or ACT assessments) in order to register for the course. Students can review course placement information, course descriptions, goal areas, etc. for common concurrent enrollment courses offered at partner high school schools. 

All students planning on taking concurrent enrollment courses need to submit an online application to the college.

Students who have previously taken courses at PTCC do not need to apply again.

Students who have taken college courses at another Minnesota State College or University should login to PTCC’s online application with their existing StarID. Students can look up their StarID here.

Students registered for concurrent enrollment courses are required to review the PTCC Concurrent Enrollment Student Handbook, and understand college policies, procedures and important dates that may impact their higher education journey.

  • Registering for a course
    • Student registration shall occur within the first five (5) days from the start of the high school term in which the course is taught. Students who do not register for a course during the first five days cannot be added at a later date.
  • Withdrawing from a Course
    • Students may withdraw from a course after the add/drop period and up to approximately 80% of the term. Courses a student withdraws from will appear on a transcript as a “W”.
    • If a student chooses to withdraw from a course, they should first meet with their teacher and/or counselor to understand potential negative impacts of the decision. The PTCC K-12 Partnerships Coordinator is also available to advise the student.
  • Drop After Deadline
    • Students who do not contact their high school counselor about withdrawing from a course by the stated deadlines cannot be withdrawn at a later date, will receive an “F” grade, and risk violating satisfactory academic progress policies. If a student has experienced an extenuating personal circumstance, they can request a back-dated drop or back-dated withdraw, but must submit a student petition, including a personal statement and any documentation that would support their request.
    • If a student chooses to drop a course, they should first meet with their teacher and/or counselor to understand potential negative impacts of the decision. The PTCC K-12 Partnership Coordinator is also available to advise the student.
    • The student should complete the PTCC Concurrent Enrollment and Pine Academy Petition online form.
    • Schedule an advising appointment with the PTCC K-12 Partnerships Coordinator.

PTCC and Federal and State law require you make satisfactory progress (SAP) towards a degree, diploma or certificate to attend the College and remain eligible to receive financial aid. To maintain good academic standing, you must maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and a 67% cumulative course completion rate. Click here for more information about Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Understanding Satisfactory Academic Progress

PTCC’s Concurrent Enrollment Program is accredited by the National Alliance for Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP). NACEP is an accrediting body that works closely with 500 institutions around the country providing best practices, research and advocacy for quality Concurrent Enrollment programming. To earn NACEP accreditation, Concurrent Enrollment programs must conduct a self-study, document how their programs adhere to NACEP’s sixteen standards, and undergo a rigorous peer-review process conducted by a professional team of representatives on the NACEP Accreditation Commission.

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