Copper Mountain Community College

Copper Mountain Community College Academics

Copper Mountain College, one of the smallest members of California’s community college system, has been a unique educational institution since the early days of its planning. In the early 1980s, residents of the desert area surrounding Joshua Tree, California began to work on making this tiny campus – then part of the College of the Desert – into its own institution. After a long and dedicated campaign, the CMC Foundation got its wish and little by little built a college. Much has changed since 1984, when President Reagan recognized this achievement by the foundation, but Copper Mountain College remains an educational institution committed to building an independent and strong college for students with the help of the community.

Since 1999, the college has constituted its own school district. As a California Community College, Copper Mountain offers two-year degrees and certificates, with the option for students to transfer and complete a four-year degree at a baccalaureate institution.

Automotive Technology programs include certificates in Transmissions, Air Conditioning, Automotive Electrical Systems, Brake Technology, Emission Control, Engine Performance & Rebuilding and Alignment & Suspension. Students at CMC can also get 2-year degrees and certificates in Adobe Applications, HTML Content Development and Dreamweaver Web Content Development.

CMC’s Health Sciences Department offers the Associate Degree Nursing Program, the Vocational Nursing Program, the Nursing Assistant Program, the Home Health Aide Program and training as an Emergency Medical Technician.

In addition, 2-year programs in the Arts & Sciences may be available depending on the level of enrollment and appropriate staffing. Students may begin pursuing degrees in Art, English, Anthropology, Theatre Arts, History, Mathematics, Psychology and more. The administration recommends checking on the school’s current schedule for up-to-date information on classes being offered.

Accreditation for Copper Mountain College comes from the Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

Even during the difficult economic period of the late 2000s, Copper Mountain College has continued to grow. A 3,000 seat arena was being built as of mid-2010, with completion expected later in the year. What many consider to be another extraordinary achievement for this small college was again the result of strong private funding. Competitive athletics loom in the not-so-distant future for CMC students.