Prairie Central High School
and
Parkland College
Dual Credit Program

The Dual Credit/Enrollment Program enables eligible high school students to earn college credit toward a degree while still in high school.  Parkland does not charge tuition or fees for dual credit courses taught at the high school using Prairie Central teachers.  Parkland College offers an opportunity for college-level courses to be taught at Prairie Central High School by a qualified PCHS instructor.  These courses are of the same high quality, cover the same content, and have the same rigor as courses offered at the Parkland College campus.  Potential teachers must be qualified to teach college courses, which usually means a Masters' Degree in the subject area they are teaching.

Transferring Credit to Four-Year Colleges/Universities:

Most colleges and universities throughout the country accept dual credit.  The University of Illinois, for example, has been very receptive toward accepting these college credits earned while in high school.  Students are encouraged to check with the Admissions Office of the post-secondary school they plan on attending for dual credit acceptance.

Procedures:

• PCHS students may apply to take college-level courses if they have the required GPA for the course(s), and are at least 16 years of age or older.  Prerequisites, including assessments or ACT scores, must be met.
• The student must submit a completed Parkland College application and the Dual Credit Program application.
• The student may be required to take an assessment test depending upon the course requested.  Assessment testing is done at Prairie Central High School.  An ACT score may also serve as a qualification for admission.
• College credits and grades earned are recorded on the student's Parkland College permanent transcript.  Credits/grades are also recorded on the PCHS transcript and will count towards earning a high school diploma.

Courses Offered (PDF)

For additional information, please contact the Guidance Department. 
(815) 692-2355