Kellogg Community College offers nearly three dozen associate degrees and nearly 30 certificates for students interested in graduating from KCC with a higher-ed credential.
However, many students attend KCC not for a credential, but to complete general education credits they can transfer to a university in pursuit of further education or a bachelor’s degree.
One popular option for transfer students is to study Pre-Engineering at KCC, which, through various agreements with universities, is one path that allows students to complete up to the first two years of their engineering education at KCC before moving on to a university.
KCC strongly encourages transfer students to complete an associate degree before moving on to a four-year school, and engineering students can earn an Associate of Science degree at KCC while completing their Pre-Engineering transfer requirements.
Save Money at KCC
Why start your engineering degree at KCC?
Many students start their education at KCC because they can save lots of money while receiving the same education they would get at a more expensive university, which in many cases equals several thousands of dollars.
For the 2018-19 academic year at KCC, for example, the average yearly cost of tuition and fees at KCC for a full-time, first-time, in-district student was $3,928. The average yearly cost for a similar student at a public university in Michigan was $12,871 — more than three times the cost of tuition and fees at KCC.
These students completing their first two years at KCC instead of a university could have saved $8,943 per year on tuition and fees alone, or $17,886 over just two academic years. And that’s not including the cost of other campus amenities — like parking — that usually cost money at a university but are free at KCC.
Additionally, many students live closer to their local community college than they do to the nearest university, which saves time and money commuting and often means the student can live at home instead of paying extra to live in dorms or apartments near campus.
Engineering Options at KCC
Students interested in starting their engineering studies at KCC should start by speaking with an academic advisor and are encouraged to schedule an appointment by emailing advising@kellogg.edu.
Here are just a few of the different paths students can take to begin their engineering studies at KCC.
WMU Articulation Agreement: Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Nearby Western Michigan University is one of the top transfer destinations for KCC students. The KCC/WMU Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering institutional articulation agreement gives students a clear path of study to follow that will lead to an Associate in Science degree at KCC while ensuring that the students’ KCC credits will be included in the total credit hours required for their bachelor’s degree at WMU.
Click here to view KCC’s program map for the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at WMU/Associate in Science at KCC degree program.
Additional Engineering Transfer Options at WMU
While not part of the formal institutional articulation agreement outlined above, WMU offers more than a dozen engineering and engineering-related bachelor degree programs that KCC students can begin at KCC and transfer dozens of their credits into later.
Programs available at the time of this writing include:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science
- Construction Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Engineering Design Technology
- Engineering Management Technology
- Graphic and Printing Science
- Industrial and Entrepreneurial Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Paper Engineering
Click here to view WMU’s KCC Transfer Guides page.
KCC’s Associate in Applied Science in CAD Technology
KCC’s Associate in Applied Science in Computer-Aided Drafting and Design Technology Program is another option for students interested in pursuing a career in engineering or an engineering-related field.
As noted on the College’s robust Computer-Aided Drafting & Design web page:
CAD is an exciting career area that will challenge you, and is more hands-on than traditional engineering programs.
KCC’s CAD Program prepares students to enter the workforce as drafters, designers and CAD technicians. Transfer students have several options to continue their studies at a four-year institution and pursue a career in fields of engineering and even architecture.
CAD graduates are prepared for careers with experience in architecture, 3D modeling, detailing, drafting, manufacturing, materials science, math, physics, rapid prototyping and statics and strengths of materials studies.
Possible job titles for graduates with an education in CAD include:
- CAD drafter/engineer/technician
- Industrial engineering technician
- Mechanical engineering technician
A popular choice for KCC CAD students seeking to continue their education at a four-year institution is the 2+2 transfer option leading to the Product Design Engineering Technology Program at Ferris State University.
Additional Resources
Students don’t have to transfer an entire associate degree worth of credits to their transfer school to make starting at KCC worth it — every credit taken at KCC can save you money in the long run, even if it’s just a single basic math class.
Students looking at their options and interested in seeing what KCC classes transfer to other schools should explore the following resources:
- KCC’s Transfer Guides web page, which includes links to transfer program maps and course equivalency information for more than two dozen colleges and universities in Michigan.
- The Michigan Transfer Network, through which students can view transfer course equivalencies for colleges and universities throughout the state. A simple search for your KCC course on this site will show you all the colleges and universities in Michigan that will accept the credits.
Speak to an Advisor
Even if you know exactly what you want to do in college and how you want to go about it, it’s always a good idea to speak with an academic advisor at the beginning of your path to make sure you’re on the right track.
Individuals interested in starting their engineering studies at KCC are encouraged to schedule an appointment with the Academic Advising office by emailing advising@kellogg.edu.
Registration for the Fall 2020 semester begins June 15, and the first fall classes start Aug. 31.