Students come to CCAC for a variety of reasons and at various times in their life. Some seek a degree, while others want to upgrade employment skills or simply take courses for personal enjoyment. All are valid reasons for attending CCAC.
The first step is to assess goals, abilities and interests and develop an educational plan. CCAC provides complete academic advising, counseling and career planning and job placement services to help answer these and other questions:
Whether students are seeking personal enrichment, preparing to transfer to a four-year school or expanding their career skill base, CCAC has services and resources available to help. Almost all of the college’s academic programs may be started at any of the four campuses or college centers, but specific courses required in a program may be offered at only one of the college campuses.
Students may apply to the Community College of Allegheny County through an online application at ccac.edu. If necessary, paper applications can be obtained at the campuses and in the credit magazine. Those completed applications should be returned to the Admissions office at the campus the student plans to attend. The Community College of Allegheny County has an open admission policy. ACT and SAT scores are not required but should be submitted if the student has taken them.
To become a CCAC student, a person should have a high school diploma or the Pennsylvania General Education Development (GED) certificate or should be over 18 years of age with reasonable equivalent experience.
Students are required to submit high school transcripts. Full-time* degree-seeking students and students planning to enroll in courses with English, reading and/or mathematics prerequisites are required to take placement tests. Scores on the placement tests help the student and academic advisor determine whether, at the time of registration, the student has the skills necessary to succeed in specific college classes. To help students in this effort, college faculty have assessed the level of difficulty of classes they teach and determined what the appropriate minimum test score should be to successfully begin the class.
* Part-time degree-seeking students must complete their placement tests once they have achieved 12 credits.
To determine if your prior scores qualify, go to ccac.edu/admissions/ged.php GED Test Scores FAQ and follow the instructions there.
More detailed GED program policy and procedures information is available at ccac.edu/admissions/ged.php.
If a student is under 18 years of age and has neither graduated from high school nor received a GED, the student may need to meet with an academic dean to determine the appropriate coursework. Current high school students may be eligible for either the dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment program and should discuss either with the Admissions office at any campus or with the student’s high school guidance counselor.
Admission to the college does not constitute admission to a limited enrollment program. Enrollment in these programs is limited by availability of clinical sites, employment opportunities, accreditation requirements and other factors. If a student indicates a preference for one of these limited admissions programs, the student will be sent complete information on the process. For more information, go to ccac.edu/admissions/limited-enrollment.php.
The Dual Enrollment program at CCAC provides high school students with the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school. Students can jump-start their college career and experience the college classroom.
Students wishing to take advantage of the Dual Enrollment program must have the approval of their high school and their parents. Dual Enrollment students must take CCAC college placement tests if they plan to enroll in either an English or a mathematics course. Students planning to enroll in a course with English, reading and/or mathematics prerequisites are also required to take placement tests. A transcript of the student’s high school grades must accompany the application. Applications for Dual Enrollment are available in the Admissions offices or on the CCAC website at ccac.edu/admissions/dual-enrollment.php.
CCAC provides support to and ESL placement testing for all students attending CCAC on an F1 visa. Please be advised, additional admissions documentation is required for students applying to the school for an F1 visa. The international student admissions packet can be requested through the International Students office. CCAC’s International Students office also provides ESL placement testing for all students (including permanent residents) whose first language is not English. Students may request additional information by calling the International Students office at 412.237.2629. For more information, go to ccac.edu/International.
CCAC’s college placement tests measure each student’s academic skill level in writing, reading and mathematics. They are designed to help students and the college to determine courses in which they will be most successful. Although students cannot fail these tests, they should try to do their best because the results will determine where they will begin their studies at the college.
Important Information. Students should review these items before scheduling placement tests:
Once you are accepted, and prior to registration for classes, you may schedule your placement tests.
For details on how to schedule your tests, please go to ccac.edu/placement-tests.
Students may not need to take all or part of the placement tests if any of the following apply to them:
* For high schools that do not have an unweighted GPA, the weighted GPA will be used.
Students need to document any exemptions that apply at the Admissions office when they apply for admission to the college.
Students should remember that the textbooks used in classes are written for students with college-level reading skills. The reading placement test will help students determine whether they need additional help in this area.
Students may not retest for placement out of a course in which they are enrolled once the class has begun; any change in placement at that point will be at the discretion of the instructor of that course.
First-time,* degree-seeking students who place into the first level of developmental reading must take DVS 060 and DVS 070 in their first semester.
Any first-time*, full-time, associate degree-seeking student must take SEM-105 in the first semester. More information available at Academic Planning .
*First-time is defined as attending CCAC for the first time.