Southside Virginia Community College

Southside Virginia Community College Academics

Popular departments at SVCC include Business Technology, Engineering and Industrial Technology, Health Technology, and Public Service Technology.

Transfer Track

The University Parallel program prepares students planning to transfer for their academic careers at four-year institutions, giving them a strong background in the liberal arts. Students in this program may also choose to specialize in Administration of Justice or Human Services.

Teacher Certifications

The Teacher Recertification program at SVCC, in conjunction with the Southside Educational Technology Consortium (SETC) offers online courses for teachers already in the field.

There is also an alternative licensure option, EducateVA, for adults with a four year college degree with a GPA of 2.5 or better and five or more professional work experience in another field who would like to move into teaching as a career. Prospective students in EducateVA must pass a criminal background check. The certification program combines online and in-person instruction over a 16 week period, include six full Saturdays. After graduating, students will qualify for a one-year provisional license. After successful completion of the first year, graduates will be eligible for a full, five-year renewable teaching license.

Online Education

SVCC offers both hybrid classes and fully online classes for student convenience. Hybrid classes are taught half in-person and half online. All classes with online content use the Blackboard online course management system. Students must have access to a computer with a reliable Internet connection, Microsoft Word, and email.

Partnership with Old Dominion University

SVCC partners with Old Dominion University to offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees online. There are Old Dominion Distance Learning programs for bachelor’s degrees in accounting, civil engineering technology, professional communication, computer science, criminal justice, Dental hygiene, Computer Engineering, Electrical Systems technology, finance, general engineering technology, health services, human services, management, marketing, medical technology, nuclear engineering, nursing, and psychology.

Old Dominion offers master’s degrees in conjunction with SVCC in the following fields: aerospace engineering, mental health counselling, school counselling, dental hygiene, elementary school teaching, engineering management, modeling and simulation, nursing, nurse midwifery, community college teaching, secondary education, special education, and systems engineering.

Dual Enrollment

The Dual Enrollment program welcomes high-achieving high school students at a discounted cost. Not only does dual enrollment save students money in the long run, it shows future colleges and universities the full capabilities of students to learn at an advanced level, increasing chances of acceptance into the schools of their choice. Interested students must complete a college application, select courses in consultations with their high school guidance counsellor, and attend class and complete assignments to the best of their ability.

SVCC works with the following counties to recruit promising dual enrollment students from their high schools: Amelia County, Buckingham County, Brunswick County, Charlotte County, Cumberland County, Dinwiddie County, Greensville County, Halifax County, Lunenburg County, Mecklenburg County, Nottoway County, and Prince Edward County. Individual schools who work with SVCC for dual enrollment include Brunswick Academy, Kenston Forest School, The Governor’s School of Southside Virginia, and New Life Christian Academy.

Middle College

Middle College offers GED preparation to students aged 18 to 24, including targeted remedial courses, workforce readiness courses, and comprehensive support services. Successful participants earn a career readiness certificate and may transition directly into curricular coursework in pursuit of an associate’s degree or certificate at the completion of their program.

Pre-Engineering Academy

Pre-Engineering Academy is a high school program with heavy emphases in the maths and sciences. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to enrol in their sophomore year and students must be capable of studying calculus and physics at advanced rates by their senior year of high school.

Campus Without Walls

The Campus Without Walls allows residents of Greensville and Emporia county to enroll in continuing education programs through the Southside Virginia Education Center in South Boston. The facility is a state of the art learning center housed in a former traditional tobacco warehouse. Danville Community College, Mary Baldwin College, Longwood, Old Dominion University, Ferrum College, Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill all also hold classes at the Education Center. This was one of many steps taken by SVCC to reach community members throughout their 4,200 square mile service area.

Academic Strengths of Branch Campuses

With many branches and learning centers, SVCC serves their students best by concentrating particular programs in different branches and facilities as follows:

The Estes Community Center in Chase City offers Nurse Aide and Practical Nursing Program. The facilities house two fully equipped computer labs for student use. There are also programs for children at the facility. In 2007, The Garland Building was constructed to extend the programming of the Community Center.

The Lake Country Advanced Knowledge Center hosts the High Performance Technology Program, a cyber café, GED preparation classes, computer classes, and Command Spanish.

The Occupational Technical Center at Picket Park is home to SVCC’s Truck Driver Training Program, heavy Equipment Operator Training Program, Heavy Equipment Operator Training Program, Diesel Mechanics and Technicians Training Program, and Wastewater Training Program.

The Educational Advancement Center of the Cumberland Center is home to the Middle College program. Major renovations, with additional programs to be offered through the Center, are expected in the near future.

Southside Higher Education Consortium

SVCC has an agreement with the Southside Higher Education Consortium which allows students at the college to cross register in a number of courses at cooperating institutions of higher learning. Participating colleges and universities include Longwood University, Saint Paul’s College, and Hampden-Sydney College.