At Nevada State High School (NSHS), 11th and 12th graders are enrolled in a dual-credit, college readiness program. What is dual-credit? Students attending NSHS have the opportunity to receive both high school AND college credit for the college courses they take. To be clear: Students are attending real college classes, in a real college environment, with real college professors. Not only do they earn college credit for these courses, but they are also given high school credit! It’s a two-for-one special: one college class = both high school and college credit.
The goal at NSHS is for students to take college courses that will help them advance toward achieving a degree of their choice while still finishing up their high school graduation requirements. Students take placement exams to determine what level of coursework they will begin at the college(s) they will be attending. A few of the most common courses students take in their first semester include:
- English 100/101 – Composition 1
- Math 95/96/126 – courses ranging from basic math to pre-calculus
- History 101 – U.S. History
- Political Science 101 – Intro to American Politics
The courses above are very common general education requirements that may apply to multiple degrees. Any college-level class that is 100-level or higher will award a student a full high school credit in the content area if they pass the class. For example, if a student passes English 101, they will earn one high school English credit as well as the college credits associated with that course. Think about it — one high school credit in a traditional school takes two semesters to complete. Students are able to finish their high school requirements in half the time, leaving them with room in their schedules for classes that interest them!
With their high school requirements complete, students can turn their attention to the courses they want to take. Through degree research and planning, students are taught how to maximize the courses they take at NSHS to finish as much of their degree as they can — for free. The most common courses we see students taking are:
- Natural Sciences with labs (Biology/Astronomy/Chemistry/Geology/Physics)
- Social Sciences (Psychology/Sociology/Anthropology/Economics/Criminal Justice)
- Humanities (Philosophy/Communication/Foreign Languages)
- Fine Arts (Music/Art/Dance/Theater)
- Other (Business/Accounting/Engineering/Education)
If the content covered in the first two years of college is almost the same as the last two years of high school, why not do both at the same time? The best part about it is that students don’t have to pay tuition! NSHS covers the cost of up to five classes per student per semester.
Registration for the Spring 2019 semester is now open, so if you’re interested in enrolling with us in January, fill out the registration form today. If you want to learn more about our program and what we offer, please contact us at 702-953-2600 or submit a help ticket with your questions at help.earlycollegenv.com.