Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC, CCBC, Catonsville Community College, Dundalk Community College) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) is one of the top undergraduate education providers in the Baltimore metropolitan area. The Community College of Baltimore County came into existence in 1998 when the state legislature restructured the three existing community colleges of the county, namely: Catonsville Community College, Essex Community College, and Dundalk Community College, into a single college spanning multiple locations. The Community College of Baltimore County operates through three campuses: CCBC Catonsville, CCBC Dundalk, and CCBC Essex.

The Community College of Baltimore County comprises seven schools: School of Applied and Information Technology, School of Business, Social Science, Wellness and Education, School of Health Professions, School of Justice and Public Safety, School of Liberal Arts, School of Mathematics and Science, and School of Continuing Education and Economic Development. The college has a total enrollment of 71,400 students across different campuses.

The Community College of Baltimore County is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education for awarding associate degrees and certificates.

Information Summary

Ranks 42nd in Maryland and 2586th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	56.0
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$5,706
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	12 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	48% / 39%
Enrollment Total (all students)	18,830

Academics

The Community College of Baltimore County offers associate degrees and certificate programs to fulfill the educational needs of the residents of Baltimore County.

Associate Degrees

The Associate degree programs offered by the Community College of Baltimore County include the Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), and Associate of Fine Arts (A.F.A.) for students who eventually want to transfer to a four-year university or college for pursuing the baccalaureate (B.A. or B.S.) degrees. The college offers the Associate of Arts degree programs for areas such as Communication Studies, Health, Anthropology, Business Law, Dance, Creative Writing, English, Psychology, Economics, and Sociology. The Associate of Science degree students can opt for a specialization in Environmental Science, Oceanography, Astronomy, Forensic Science, Geography, Mathematics, Geology, Meteorology, Biology, and Physics. The areas of specialization available with the Associate of Fine Arts degree include Art, Design, and Interactive Media, Music, Dance, and Theatre. The college also offers the Associate of Science (A.S.) in Nursing and Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.) degree programs.

The Community College of Baltimore County also offers the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree program for students who want to take up a profession directly after completing their course. The areas of study that the students of the Applied Associate in Science degree program can opt for include Automotive Technology, Aviation Management, Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing, Business Management, Chemical Dependency Counseling, and Computer-Aided Drafting and Design.

Certificate Programs

The Community College of Baltimore County offers numerous career certificate programs in areas such as Accounting, Automotive Master Technician, Automotive Air Conditioning and Heating Specialist, Air Traffic Control, and Flight Training.

Most Popular Fields of Study

Admissions

The Community College of Baltimore County follows the open-door admissions policy and accepts any candidate who is competent to benefit from the college education. Candidates who have a high school diploma or equivalent or who are 18 years or older can seek admission in the college.

The admission procedure involves submitting the admission application form and official high school transcripts. First time college students are required to appear for the CCBC academic placement tests. They can also submit their ACT/SAT scores (if available).

Special Requirements

Some programs such as Dental Hygiene, Emergency Medical Technology, Massage Therapy, Nursing, Radiation Therapy, and Veterinary Technology have competitive admission process and require students to meet specific admission criteria.

International Applicants

International students need to submit the international application for admission and a certificate of finances to demonstrate availability of funds to finance the education expenses for a year. They are also required to submit their high school and college transcripts. They are required to provide evidence of their proficiency in English by submitting their TOEFL/IELTS scores.

Financial Aid

The Community College of Baltimore County provides financial aid to students to help them meet their educational expenses. Different financial aid programs available for the students are: grants, work-study opportunities, scholarships, and student loans.

Scholarships, Grants, and Loans

The need-based grant options include the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Educational Assistance Grant, and Guaranteed Access Grant. Students can avail various loan options such as Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans and Federal Parent Loan (PLUS). Students can also apply for work-study programs wherein they can seek in-campus and off-campus work-study positions – community service, state work-study, and other regular part-time jobs. Students can only work for a maximum of 15 hours per week when the classes are in session. The merit-based awards include A. J. Guckert Memorial Scholarship, Betty Penski Memorial Scholarship, CCBC Engineering Scholarship, Florence Andrea Lewis Teaching Scholarship, and Joseph T. Loane Memorial Scholarship.

FAFSA

To apply for financial aid from the Community College of Baltimore County, students are required to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the U.S. Department of Education. To be eligible for financial aid, students must be U.S citizens or eligible non-citizens. Community College of Baltimore County recommends a priority deadline of August 13 (fall semester) and January 14 (spring semester) to apply for the financial aid.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 4450th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Maryland.

Students

The Community College of Baltimore County offers numerous activities to ensure that the college life of the students is meaningful. The Office of Student Life strives to assist students in integrating their classroom learning with the out-of-classroom experiences. There are numerous service learning and volunteer opportunities for the students to foster the value of giving back to the society. Academic advisement and career services are available for the students to help them succeed in their academic endeavors. Transfer information and career guidance is also made readily available for the students.

Child care services are provided for the children of the students, staff, and faculty of Community College of Baltimore County. The campus bookstore stocks new and used books, apparel, accessories, school and office supplies, software, and computer peripherals.

The Community College of Baltimore County does not provide on-campus housing facility for students. Food services are available for the students at all the three campuses. The CCBC Cafés offer a variety of menu options including an assortment of subs, sandwiches, freshly-made burgers, fries, grill items, hand-tossed pizza, and calzones.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Athletics

The Community College of Baltimore County is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), Region XX and the charter member of the Maryland JUCO Conference.

The intercollegiate athletic teams include men’s baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and basketball. The women’s teams include basketball, indoor track, cross country, lacrosse, softball, soccer, and volleyball. The CCBC Dundalk athletic teams are known as the Lions, the CCBC Essex athletic teams are known as the Knights, and the CCBC Catonsville athletic teams are known as the Cardinals.

Bibliography

The Community College of Baltimore County. About CCBC. Web. 13 December 2011.

The Community College of Baltimore County. Programs and Courses. Web. 13 December 2011.

The Community College of Baltimore County. 2011 – 2012 College Catalog. 2011. Print.

Community College of Baltimore County