Matriculation status will be determined for all new students at the time they submit their application for admission to the College. Their status will be either “matriculant” or “exempt matriculant.” Students are considered matriculants if they are enrolling at Santa Monica College for the first time and their goal is to earn a degree at SMC, transfer to a four-year college or university, complete a certificate, pursue basic skills instruction, or are undecided about their goal.
Any student who is exempt from placement, orientation, and counseling will still be given the opportunity to participate in these services. Exempt students may be subjected to the loss of priority enrollment.
Matriculant
After filing an application for admission to SMC, all students are required to participate in all parts of the matriculation process unless specifically exempted from particular components. Students who fail to complete required components will have their enrollment placed on hold or will lose their enrollment priority until the components have been completed. The matriculation components consist of placement, orientation, and counseling (which includes counseling, advising, and other education planning services and education plan development).
Students filing as matriculants must:
- Complete the placement process for math and English or ESL, and if they wish to enroll directly in other courses with enforced prerequisites, complete the relevant challenge exam or prerequisite course(s);
- Complete the orientation program that is provided online at smc.edu/orient to become familiar with the College and its programs;
- Arrange for transcripts of previous college work (or high school transcript if they have no previous college work) to be sent to the Admissions Office; and
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Create an education plan prior to enrollment and receive academic counseling about class selections.
New college students must complete these procedures before they will be permitted to enroll in classes, and are encouraged to make arrangements to have the appropriate transcripts from other institutions sent directly to the Admissions Office. Transcripts should be received by SMC at least four weeks before the start of the semester. New applicants will receive a notice from the College specifying which matriculation steps are mandatory for them.
Orientation: Orientation informs students about the wide range of services and support that SMC provides, including academic counseling to help sort out education and career goals, health and psychological services, financial aid, scholarships, job referral services, tutoring services, and support programs for students with special needs. As a convenience for students, Santa Monica College provides its orientation program online, which may be accessed 24 hours a day at smc.edu/orient using any computer with Internet access.
Placement Process for of English, ESL, and math: To help students get the most out of their education goals, the College requires first-time college students to complete the placement process. All new students at SMC are required to undergo the placement process in these areas. Placement in chemistry (by challenge exam) is required for students who wish to enroll directly into Chemistry 11, without taking the Chemistry 10 prerequisite course, and is also required for waivers of prerequisites for selected life sciences courses (see a counselor for details).
Santa Monica College provides an online process to assist students in selecting an education goal and developing a course of study to reach that goal. Students have an opportunity to develop education plans that are either abbreviated or comprehensive.
Abbreviated student education plans are one-to-two academic terms in length and designed to meet the immediate needs of students.
Comprehensive student education plans take into account a student’s interests, skills, career and education goals, major, potential transfer institution(s), and the steps needed to complete the identified course of study. The comprehensive plan includes, but is not limited to, addressing the education goal and course of study requirements — such as the requirements for the major, transfer, certificate, program, and applicable course prerequisites or corequisites — as well as need for basic skills, placement process results, and the need for referral to other support and instructional services when appropriate.
Santa Monica College requires that all matriculants develop an abbreviated education plan prior to enrollment in their first semester. After completing 15 degree-applicable semester units or prior to the end of their third semester, all matriculants are required to complete a comprehensive education plan.
Definition and development of education goals: While some students arrive at Santa Monica College with a very clear and firm idea of what their education goals are, most have several different areas they wish to explore or pursue, and others have no particular direction at all, often because they have too many different interests.
- Students who are focused on a specific education goal and wish to pursue it in the most direct way possible: These students design a study program that leads directly to their transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a specific major, or to their Associate degree, or to their certification in a vocational or occupational field.
- Students with a variety of interests to explore before settling into one particular field: Many students fall into this category. As they learn more about particular fields of study and their own capabilities in those fields, they become able to sort through their interests and eventually focus on a particular program of study.
- Students truly undecided about what education goals to pursue: These students need help to sort out their values, interests, and how their education will contribute to their life and future career.
Academic counseling: The College provides a professional staff of academic counselors to help students identify their education plan and how to pursue it. Counseling services vary according to a student’s particular education goal. General Counseling & Transfer Services helps students develop an education plan that outlines the courses they need to meet a specific transfer, occupational certificate, or Associate degree goal. The Career Services Center at SMC assists students in sorting out potential majors and education goals.
Other support services: SMC provides a caring and committed faculty, General Counseling & Transfer Services, Career Services Center, Black Collegians Program, Latino Center, International Education Center, athletic counseling, tutoring services, financial aid, and a number of other means to support students in their pursuit of higher education. These services are described in detail in the Programs and Services section of this catalog, online at the SMC website (see the Student Support webpage at smc.edu/student-support), and in the Schedule of Classes.
General student matriculation responsibilities include an obligation to:
- Identify an education and career goal after completing the 15th unit of degree-applicable coursework, or before the end of the third semester, whichever comes first.
- Engage diligently in course activities and complete assigned coursework; and;
- Complete courses and maintain progress toward an education goal.
Santa Monica College requires certain types of students to accept special responsibilities if they wish to achieve their education and personal goals.
Probationary Students: Students on academic and/or progress probation must develop contracts with counselors for returning to good standing.
Undeclared Students: Students who have not declared education goals must meet with a counselor to develop a career or academic plan no later than the semester before enrolling for a 16th unit of credit at SMC.