Dual Credit Program

The Dual Credit Program (DCP) is designed to give high school students the opportunity to enroll at Doña Ana Community College prior to high school graduation. Students must be enrolled at least half time as a junior or senior in a New Mexico public high school. Under a Dual Credit Master Agreement between DACC and the local school district, students who enroll in approved dual credit courses are eligible to have the full cost of tuition and general fees waived. Textbooks are typically paid for by the school district, however, students do pay for their own supplies, protective apparel, and tool sets as required by the course(s) selected. Students may be responsible for any course-specific fees, such as lab fees. Home-schooled students are also eligible for the DCP but are responsible for purchasing their own materials including textbooks, digital course materials, tools, or any other course specific fees. In the DCP students take college-level courses that simultaneously satisfy high school electives for graduation and college credits toward a future certificate, associate degree or bachelor's degree.

Completion of a degree or certificate prior to graduating from high school is not typical for dual credit high school students unless they are enrolled in a special program. Most dual credit students will complete one or two courses per semester while they are enrolled in the DCP.  Students will normally need to attend additional semesters at DACC following high school graduation as a traditional, tuition paying student to complete a degree or certificate.

Students should inquire about and apply for DCP opportunities with their high school counselor. They must complete an Application for Admission, the State Dual Credit Request Form, and provide a high school transcript. Requirements to be admitted to the DCP are a minimum high school grade-point average (GPA) of 2.0 and meet all course prerequisites and placement requirements. Students must also meet the criteria agreed upon by their school district and DACC. After a student is admitted to the DCP, an academic advisor will assist the student in the registration process. For further information, contact the appropriate high school counselor.

High school students enrolled in a high school that does not have a Dual Credit Master Agreement with DACC may be eligible for enrollment as Early Admission students; however, as such, they would be responsible for all costs related to enrollment.  For further information, contact the DACC Admissions Office at (575) 528-7244.

NOTE: Not all DACC courses taken through the DCP may be transferable for college credit to other colleges and universities.

Early College High School Program

The Early College High School initiative is designed to allow students to simultaneously earn a high school diploma while earning up to two years (60 hours) of college credit. Many early college students will complete a college certificate or associate degree by the time they graduate from high school. The facilities, usually located on a college or university campus, gives students access to higher education courses earlier while students are still in high school and helps students become more comfortable in a higher education environment.

The key to the success of this initiative is a strong partnership between the school districts and higher education institutions. In the State of New Mexico, Doña Ana Community College has created a partnership with the Las Cruces Public School District and the Gadsden Independent School District to offer enrollment in early college high schools. DACC is currently serving more than 500 students through this program.

For further information on the admission requirements for early college high school, contact one of the high schools directly. Information about the Arrowhead Park Early College High School and the Arrowhead Park Medical Academy (both part of LCPS) may be obtained by calling (575) 527-9540; for Alta Vista Early College High School (GISD), call (575) 882-6400.

Special Admissions Requirements

Certain programs at DACC have special admissions requirements:

In addition to fulfilling the general requirements for admission to the community college, individuals seeking admission to these programs must also fulfill certain special admissions requirements. Since these programs generally have limited enrollment, completion of the admissions requirements for a specific program does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Acceptance may be competitive, based on individual academic performance in previous coursework and other criteria. Information regarding the application procedure for a specific program may be obtained from the department offering that program.

Students must reapply to special admissions programs each time they wish to be considered for acceptance. For example, a student who has fulfilled the special admissions requirements, yet was not admitted because of space limitations, will not automatically be considered for a subsequent semester; (s)he must reapply. Similarly, one who may have been accepted during a particular semester, but failed to accept an offer to enroll, must also reapply in order to be considered again.

Standards for Program Participation

Some programs may require technical standards for admissions and/or continued program participation. Technical standards may include possessing or acquiring skills or behaviors to complete performance-based tasks. Completion of these tasks may be required for program completion. See individual program descriptions for further information.

Security Background Checks. Certain programs of study require that students complete and pass a security background check. Past criminal violations may prevent a student from completing his/her degree and from being hired after graduating. Programs requiring a security background check disclose this fact in their program description sections found in this catalog.