There are many opportunities for Marshall County Central students to earn college credit for FREE and get a jump start on their post-secondary education.


Legislation allows eligible 10th graders to take one Career and Technical Education (CTE) course in their first semester. If successful with a C or above, they can enroll in an additional CTE course during their second semester.  Juniors and seniors who meet eligibility requirements (GPA and test scores) can register for multiple courses providing they do not exceed full-time status  between their college and high school schedules.  Students cannot take more than 3 online college offerings within a given semester (this does not apply to full-time PSEO students).  


Please note, all college courses that you take in high school become a permanent part of your college course history.  When applying to college, you will be required to submit transcripts from every school you have taken CIS/PSEO classes through.  At the college level, any grade below a 'C' does NOT EARN credit.  Failure to maintain at least a 'C' average could result in: ineligibility in a CIS/PSEO program; academic probation or suspension at the college level; and in some cases, could impact your ability to receive Financial Aid in the future.  Students who want to take CIS/PSEO classes to pick away at prerequisites for certain majors (e.g. nursing) must be ready to devote the time and effort it will take to get the best possible grades they can.  Programs, such as nursing, are highly competitive and the grades earned in prerequisite classes play a major factor in the candidate selection process.
  


1) College in the School (CIS) Classes 

MCC High School partners with Northland Community and Technical College (NCTC), Minnesota State Community and Technical College (MState), the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU).

Here are the college credits that are offered at the MCC High School:

  • Anatomy and Physiology I (NCTC: BIOL 2260 worth 4 credits)---offered again in 2025-2026
  • Anatomy and Physiology II (NCTC: BIOL 2262 worth 4 credits)---offered in 2024-2025
  • General Biology (NCTC: Biological Principles I/BIOL1111 worth 4 credits)---offered again in 2025-2026
  • College Chemistry (MState: CHEM1111 - General Chemistry I worth 5 credits)---offered again in 2025-2026.
  • College Writing (MState: ENG 1101 worth 3 credits)---offered every year
  • College Algebra (U of M-Twin Cities: College Algebra Through Modeling/CI 1806 worth 3 credits)---offered every year

Eligibility Requirements to take CIS Courses
  • (MState): Seniors must have a 2.8 GPA or higher and juniors must have a 3.2 GPA or higher.
  • (NCTC): Juniors and seniors must have a GPA of 2.6 or higher. ​Students with a GPA of 2.8 plus an Algebra 2 grade of C- or higher can register for a college level math course.
  • (U of M-Twin Cities): GPA, math aptitude, and teacher recommendation



2) Online College in the School Classes
​ Seniors must have a GPA of 2.8 or higher and juniors must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.  A 10th grader who will be taking a CTE course (which is the only category of courses a sophomore can initially take) must meet or exceed the 8th Grade MCA Reading assessment standard minimum score. If the MCA test was not taken, the student could take the ACCUPLACER® Reading Comprehension test. For 10th graders, a 3.4 cumulative GPA or higher is required and the student must complete the Intro to Online Learning workshop.

Seniors must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher and juniors must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.  Students taking College Composition will need a 2.6 GPA and students taking College Algebra will need a 2.8 GPA and at least a C- or higher in Algebra II.  10th graders with a GPA of 3.0 or higher can take Medical Terminology if they meet qualifying MCA or ACCUPLACER scores.



3) Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO)

  • Open to juniors and seniors who meet eligibility requirements
  • A student can attend full-time at a Minnesota college or university (either on campus and/or online)
  • A student can attend part-time at a Minnesota college or university (either on campus and/or online) while also attending high school classes (not to exceed a full-time schedule between the two)
  • PSEO program eligibility requirements and application: https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/dual/pseo/
  • Students must notify the MCC School District of their intent to enroll in the PSEO program by May 30th of each year for a fall semester enrollment and October 30th for a spring semester enrollment.
  • PSEO students must work closely with the school counselor to ensure they are registering for classes that are in alignment with high school graduation requirements 
  • Before enrolling in the PSEO program, a student and his/her parent(s)/guardian(s) must meet with the school counselor and principal to discuss requirements and a graduation plan
  • Students must take a minimum of 14 credits per semester

PSEO is a great way to get a jump start on a college education for FREE. However, students are encouraged to make an informed decision about whether PSEO is right for them.  Consider the following:
  • Will you have reliable transportation to/from class and are you comfortable with winter driving?
  • Do you have the maturity and motivation to ask your college instructors/college staff for assistance if needed? You will be considered a college student, NOT a high school student by your post-secondary school so you will need to advocate for yourself.
  • How organized and responsible are you? Will you regularly get yourself to class? Can you keep track of when assignments/quizzes/tests are due without someone reminding you?
  • Are you willing to put in the extra amount of time it will take to produce college-level work?  If not, please note that you must maintain a 'C' average (or better) or you'll run the risk of being put on academic probation or suspension. This can impact your eligibility for continuing in the PSEO program and could effect your ability to receive Financial Aid in the future.   Also, any failed college courses can hinder your ability to graduate high school on time.
  • Are there some high school graduation requirements that will be harder for you to take at college (e.g. chemistry, economics, a math class...)?
  • If you are in extra-curricular activities and/or have a job can you budget your time wisely and work around your college course schedule?  College schedules are not like the 8:30a-3:06p high school day.  In order to meet a graduation requirement, you might have to take a late afternoon or even an evening course.


College in School, Online College Courses, and PSEO. So many choices...

What Courses Should I Take?
  • Online or in-person?  For online learning, you need to be comfortable with technology and learning via video, reading, and written correspondence.  Additionally, you need to be organized and self-motivated (a teacher won't be in front of the classroom reminding you of an upcoming test...and you can't be late with assignments because when a deadline passes, the drop box for homework closes).  
  • If you have figured out a major and which college/university you want to attend, you could take courses that pick away at prerequisites, general education*** and/or program-specific requirements.  Please note, some institutions require program-specific courses to be taken through them and not from other colleges/universities.
  • If you are undecided about a college major, you could take some courses that seem interesting as a way to get a feel for whether a particular career pathway is right for you.
  • If you don't know what you want to major in but you do know you want to attend a four year college/university, you could take one or more of the commonly accepted general education courses***
  • Choose courses that meet your high school graduation requirements (PSEO students, first and foremost, must be taking courses with HS graduation in mind).

***Information on General Education Courses and Goal Areas
(Please Note: general education, liberal (arts) education, essential studies, and goal areas are different names for a similar concept)

Will My Credits Transfer?

Here's how you can find out: (MState): https://www.minnesota.edu/transfer

(MSUM): https://www.mnstate.edu/admissions/transfer/transfer-credits.aspx

(NCTC): http://www.northlandcollege.edu/admissions/transfer-students/minnesota-transfer-curriculum/ (lists the courses that will transfer to any four year MN state college or university)

(NDSU): https://tes.collegesource.com/publicview/TES_publicview01.aspx?rid=5d038207-fb86-4259-8655-c0d69965378d&aid=5c0de629-4869-42d0-90c2-0982a58e9616

(U of M-Crookston): https://www.crk.umn.edu/admissions/prospective-transfer-students

(UND): https://und.edu/academics/registrar/transfer-course-equivalencies.html



Important Parent Information

Here are some important things for you to know:
  • The MCC High School partners with Infinity Online (with college credit running through Itasca Community College) and Distance Minnesota (comprised of Northland Community and Technical College, Northwest Technical College and Alexandria Technical and Community College).

  • Students who enroll in online college courses will be given a corresponding period in their schedule to work on these classes.  Students will report to the library for this.  

  • Because of FERPA laws, the MCC High School does not receive grading information until the completion of a semester nor does the school receive communication about a student’s progress from their online college instructors.  Throughout the semester, parents/guardians should periodically ask their students to show them a current grade as a way to monitor their progress.  

  • In addition, students are encouraged to keep Ms. Anderson in the loop about their grades/how they are doing in their class(es).  Although courses are semester-based, students are required to share their current grade with Ms. Anderson at mid-semester.  If a student is passing at mid-semester, a ‘P’ will be recorded on the quarter 1 or quarter 3 report card.  However, only the final semester grade will be placed onto a student’s permanent grading record/transcript.  

  • If a student wishes to drop a Distance Minnesota class, they must do so 7 days PRIOR to the start of the semester.  Infinity courses can be dropped through the first two weeks of the class.

  • Infinity classes are basically aligned with the high school’s semester start/stop dates.  Distance Minnesota classes, however, run differently.  For Distance Minnesota classes, the fall semester starts the same day as school starts at the high school but it ends during the third week of December.  Spring semester for Distance Minnesota classes begins the second week of January (which is typically a couple of weeks before the end of fall semester at MCC).  Because of this, students enrolled in a Distance MN spring course will not have a formal spot in their schedule for their online classes until the start of MCC’s semester two (so it is critical that they put in the time at home).  

  • Please be aware that an instructor can drop a student from a course after the first week if a student hasn’t completed and submitted their first week assignments.  This drop will be a permanent part of their college transcript.