Santa Monica College (SMC) is a 2-year, public community college located in Santa Monica, California. The school offers associate degrees and career certificates in more than 90 areas of study and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Founded in 1929 as Santa Monica Junior College, Santa Monica College is the leader among the state's 110 community colleges in transferring students to the University of California including UCLA, University of Southern California, and Loyola Marymount University.

In addition, the college has the largest international student population of any community college in the U.S., with over 3,000 students from more than 100 countries. Current total student population is about 30,000.

The SMC campus houses KCRW-FM, the broadcast home of National Public Radio's "Morning Becomes Electric" and comedian Harry Shearer's "Le Show."

Santa Monica College boasts illustrious alumni from the worlds of entertainment, sports, politics, and business.

Among them are actors Dustin Hoffman, Sean Penn, and Hilary Swank; musicians Nick Carter and Rickie Lee Jones; California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; Olympic skating champion Evan Lysacek; and former Microsoft CEO Nathan Myhrvold.

Santa Monica College awards the 2-year Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree in a comprehensive variety of majors, most of which offer specific areas of concentration.

Majors include accounting, art, art history, broadcasting, business, computer science and information systems, cosmetology, dance, liberal arts, digital media and animation, journalism, graphic design, fashion design and merchandising, music, nursing, photography, theater arts, kinesiology, office technology, women's studies, solar photovoltaic installation, and more.

SMC has articulation (equivalency) agreements with numerous public and private institutions of higher learning in California and outside the state. New students are encouraged to meet with their SMC adviser to develop an academic program best suited for their transfer institution and intended major.

SMC awards career certificates in a broad range of subject areas. Students seeking short-term education and training for work may earn a Department Certificate, which focuses on a specific career area and does not include general or elective classes.

Students seeking more in-depth preparation for a particular career may earn a Certificate of Achievement, which requires some general education and elective courses. Santa Monica College students must attain a grade of C or higher in each course to successfully complete the Certificate of Achievement.

Certificates are offered in accounting, broadcasting, business, computer science, cosmetology, early childhood education, environmental science, environmental studies, ethnic studies, fashion design and merchandising, graphic design, interior architectural design, interactive digital media and animation, photography, office technology, solar photovoltaic installation, and more.

Pre-professional programs offered at SMC include pre-law, pre-veterinary, pre-chiropractic, pre-dental/dental hygiene, pre-medical, pre-pharmacy, and teacher preparation.

Santa Monica College offers a number of special programs that advance and enrich students' learning experiences in and out of the classroom.

The Arts Mentor Program provides extremely gifted students in the fine and applied arts with one-on-one support training by professionals in their specialized fields.

The Scholars Program, a rigorous, enriched honors program, prepares academically advanced students for transfer to 4-year colleges and universities. The Service-Learning Program helps students integrate their community service experiences into their curriculum of academic study at SMC.

Through the Dale Ride Internship program, a select group of students are offered summer opportunities to participate in the state and local legislative process and broaden their awareness of public service as a career option.

Santa Monica College employs more than 300 full-time and 1,000 part-time faculty members. SMC faculty has earned a reputation over the years for dedication and excellence in the classroom. "Rolling Stone" magazine named SMC one of the 10 best community colleges in the nation because of the high caliber of the faculty.

Most full-time faculty members at SMC hold the highest degree in their academic field; a number of them have been recognized with awards for teaching excellence. Many are industry experts from a variety of fields who bring their professional insight and experience into the classroom to share with students.

The sports teams at SMC are known as the Corsairs (a Corsair is a pirate). SMC competes in the Western State Conference and offers 16 sports. These include men's and women's basketball, cross country, swimming, track and field, volleyball, and water polo.

SMC fields men's teams in football and women's teams in softball, soccer, and tennis.

Santa Monica College is considered one of the most affordable institutions of higher education in the world.

The college offers loans, grants, and scholarships to eligible students, as well as federal loans. To be considered for financial aid, Santa Monica College students must complete the Federal Application for Student Aid Form (FAFSA). Students in F1 status are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Santa Monica College also offers several scholarships, including Cal State Dominguez Hills Scholarships and the Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship Program.

Santa Monica College is located on 38 acres in a diverse, energetic community less than 2 miles from the beach and 13 miles from Los Angeles. There is no campus dormitory, but information about local accommodations for international students is available through the school's International Education Center.

On campus, students enjoy full-featured computer labs, athletic facilities, a new library and performing arts center, ample parking, and a variety of student clubs and organizations.

The Santa Monica public transit system's Big Blue Bus runs through the main campus and has routes throughout the city and suburbs. Students with a valid SMC Student ID card ride the Big Blue Bus for free. Free SMC shuttle buses connect the college's 4 nearby satellite campuses.

State and locally supported, Coed

Urban 40-acre campus with easy access to Los Angeles

Certificates and Associate

Noncompetitive

Options: early admission
Required: high school transcript
Notification: continuous until 8/30 (freshmen), continuous until 8/30 (transfers)

Tuition: State resident $0 full-time; nonresident $6660 full-time, $222 per unit part-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to course load. Part-time tuition and fees vary according to course load

Required fees: $780 full-time, $26 per unit part-time, $14 per term part-time

Payment plan: Deferred payment

Of all full-time matriculated undergraduates who enrolled in 2001, 450 Federal Work-Study jobs (averaging $3000)

Certificates and Associate

Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
Women's Studies
Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
Accounting; Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science; Business Administration and Management; Office Management; Sales, Distribution and Marketing; Selling Skills and Sales
Communication, Journalism And Related Programs
Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia; Journalism; Radio and Television
Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics and Special Effects
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
Computer Programming; Computer Science; Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications; Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration
Education
Special Education (Early Childhood)
English Language And Literature/Letters
Speech and Rhetoric
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
Apparel and Textile Marketing Management; Child Development
Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
Nursing (Registered Nurse Training); Respiratory Care Therapy
Legal Professions And Studies
Legal Administrative Assistant/Secretary
Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Biological and Physical Sciences
Parks, Recreation, Leisure And Fitness Studies
Health and Physical Education
Personal And Culinary Services
Cosmetology
Social Sciences
Anthropology
Visual And Performing Arts
Art; Commercial Photography; Dance; Dramatic/Theater Arts; Fashion/Apparel Design; Film/Cinema Studies; Graphic Design; Interior Design; Music

28,958 undergraduate students

 

Housing: College housing not available
Activities: Drama/theater group, student-run newspaper, choral group
Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, student patrols, late-night transport/escort service
Student services: Health clinic, personal/psychological counseling, women's center, legal services

Special study options: Academic remediation for entering students, adult/continuing education programs, advanced placement credit, cooperative education, distance learning, English as a second language, honors programs, independent study, internships, part-time degree program, services for LD students, study abroad, summer session for credit
ROTC: Army (c)
School Calendar: Semester plus optional winter and summer terms

Basketball, cross-country running, football (m), soccer (w), softball (w), swimming and diving, tennis (w), track and field, volleyball, water polo

Basketball M/W, cross-country running M/W, football M, soccer W, softball W, swimming and diving M/W, tennis W, track and field M/W, volleyball M/W, water polo M/W

Main Library Name: Santa Monica College Library
Collection: 101,317 titles; 389 serial subscriptions;