Counseling Services

Your educational goal is the objective of your education. There are several educational goals that you can achieve at Los Medanos College. You may choose more than one. You may change your educational goal at any time.

You will be more motivated to stay in school and achieve good grades if you have a goal for your future.

Associate Degree
An Associate Degree is the first college degree you can earn. It requires the completion of 60 units of required and elective courses, and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 (“C”) or higher. You can earn an Associate Degree in two years if you attend full time (15 units a semester), but it will take longer if you attend part-time. More than 60 units may be required if you need developmental courses or are undecided about your major.

Transfer to 4-Year College
At Los Medanos College you can complete the first two years of coursework (“lower division”) required to earn a Bachelor’s Degree at a four-year college or university. You can then transfer to the 4-year institution as a junior. You can meet transfer requirements with or without earning an Associate Degree. Transfer and Associate Degree requirements, while similar, are not identical. For instance, transfer requires a more advanced math course.

Certificate of Achievement
A Certificate of Achievement, which is not a college degree, may be earned in certain technical, vocational, or business majors at Los Medanos College. Certificate programs focus almost exclusively on preparing you for a specific occupation. Few courses outside the major are required, except for competency requirements.

Departmental Certificate Options
Departmental Certificates generally require less than 18 units of work and are currently available in Administration of Justice, Business, Child Development, Computer Networking Technology, Computer Science, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Technology, Management & Supervision, Travel, and Vocational Nursing. Consult specific
department for details.

Personal
If you don’t choose to pursue a degree, certificate, or transfer, your educational goal may be to:

About your first semester classes

Don't be overly concerned if you are undecided about your major or what classes to take your first semester. Many students "explore" when they first start college.

Here are some first-semester suggestions:

"College Success" courses

English Course

Reading and writing are essential to success in almost all college classes. Sign up for the English course recommended after your assessment.

Math Course

Do you need to review the basics? All degree, certificate, and transfer programs at LMC have a math requirement. What math course was recommended after assessment? Get started early!

Computer Course

Computer literacy is a requirement for all LMC degrees and certificates, as well as for many jobs. Enroll in Computer Science 40, "Introduction to Computers," or Computer Science 60, "Introduction to Microcomputers and Applications," or Business 65, "Introduction to Word Processing." In addition, you may wish to consider an Internet class, such as Computer Science 30, "The Internet."

Library Course

To make full use of the LMC library and improve your ability to do research papers and projects, enroll in Library Studies 14, "Introduction to Library Resources," or Library Studies 17, "Introduction to Internet Information Resources."

General Education Course

What subject interests you? Take a GE class in psychology, astronomy, history,
ecology, or any of many other subjects. Make sure you have met any prerequisite
for the class first.

Personal Interest Course

Take something that appeals to you! LMC offers courses in art, ceramics, child development, computer graphics, automotive repair, music, office skills, photography, and physical education, to name just a few.