International and Intercultural Education

Maricopa Community Colleges does not have any dormitories with the exception of Chandler-Gilbert Community College; therefore, you must find housing in the area. We can assist you with lists of apartments.

The two-year community college offers more individualized attention, smaller classes, and you can complete the general studies requirements before transferring.

Semester credit hours usually equal the number of hours your class meets each week. If you take a one credit course, that means your class meets only one hour per week for the length of the semester. Example:

• Introduction to Human Communication is a 3 credit course, which means the class meets for three hours each week for the length of the semester.
• A student could enroll in an Introduction to Human Communication class that meets for an hour each day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; for an hour and a half on Tuesday and Thursday; or for three hours on Wednesday night.
• All three examples total three (3) hours in class each week for a 16 week semester, therefore, 3 semester credit hours. Most classes are three (3) semester credit hour courses, except for laboratory courses (a semester credit hour is also referred to as a credit or unit).

Students on F-1 student visas must maintain enrollment in at least 12 semester credit hours each semester. That is usually 4 or 5 classes.

Classes have between 20-35 students.

F-1 visa students are allowed to work on campus only up to 20 hours per week.

Courses 100 level or above generally transfer. However, you must keep three things in mind:

1. Grades—Must be C or better Total Number of Credit
2. Hours to be Transferred—60-64 semester credit hours is the usual maximum number for lower division credits (freshman, sophomore course work) that can be transferred to a four-year college or university
3. Similarity of Courses—Courses taken at the community college must be similar to lower division courses at the four-year college or university

When in doubt, the student should bring the catalog from the four-year college or university he/she wishes to transfer to and ask the international student advisor how much of their specific four-year program from their preferred college's or university's catalog they can take. The student can also ask the four-year college or university what they can take at the community college level that will transfer.

At the present time, there is no financial aid or scholarships for F-1 international students.

All of our faculty are accredited instructors.

Yes, we have free tutoring services available in our Math and Writing Centers. There is also ESL tutoring available.

Maricopa Community Colleges offers a wide variety of occupational programs and certificates. Among them are Hotel Management, Restaurant Management, Equine Science, Culinary Arts, Interior Design, Motion Picture/Television Production, Nursing, Computer Information Systems, Architectural Technology/Computer Aided Drafting, Administration of Justice Studies, and International Business.

More programs are added as the demand increases. Please check the website of the college you are interested in attending for a list of their occupational programs.