How do I get started at SAC?
Apply online by visiting www.sac.edu. For the fall semester, we begin to accept applications starting April 1st; for the spring semester, we begin to accept applications starting November 1st.
How do I get information about a specific degree or certificate program at?
Click on our catalog or educational options in the student planning guide at this website. In the first part of the catalog you will find descriptions of all of our degree and certificate programs as well as the major courses needed to complete each program. In the back half of our catalog are course descriptions of the courses we offer. To get a sense of when we offer classes, click on our current class schedule at this website and you can see the days and times we offer our classes.
What is Guided Self- Placement?
The Guided
Self-Placement is for students that do not have access to their high school
transcripts or studied outside of the U.S.If you plan to
take English and Math courses your first semester, please complete the English
and Math Guided Self-Placement. If you complete the Guided
Self-Placement online; please allow up to 3 working days to receive
an email with information about your placement recommendation
. Please refer to the Guided - Self Placement webpage for more information.
What’s the difference between a degree and certificate program?
To earn an Associate Degree from SAC you must complete 60 degree applicable semester units. The 60 units must include general education (math, science, social science, humanities, etc, courses) and your major courses. A certificate program is a specific list of courses in a vocational area. To earn a certificate, you do not need to complete general education requirements. A certificate program can be 12 units to 40 units or more depending on the program.
What’s a unit?
One semester unit is equivalent to 16 hours of class. Most college courses are 3 units and so they meet for three hours per week for sixteen weeks. We do offer mini-semester courses that are condensed in length, but may be longer in duration. Please see the class schedule for listings.
If I am planning to transfer to a university, do I need to complete an Associate degree first?
No. The minimum requirements for an Associate Degree do not generally meet all the requirements for transfer to a university (with the exception of Associate Degrees for Transfer). Some of the courses taken to complete Associate degree requirements may also satisfy transfer requirements. Through careful course selection at Santa Ana College, you can complete your general education courses and many major courses that will help you transfer to a university. The lists of courses that meet California State University (Plan B) and University of California (Plan C) general education requirements are in the first part of the catalog, please click here to access the college catalog.
What’s the difference between Santa Ana College and a university?
At a university you can earn a bachelor's degree. It takes 120 - 132 semester units to earn a bachelor's degree. A university is significantly more expensive than Santa Ana College. At SAC you can complete the equivalent of the first half of your bachelor's degree and then transfer to a university to finish. Hundreds of students follow this route and save a great deal of money. Students also enjoy the fact that the class sizes at Santa Ana College are typically smaller and there is more personal attention than at a large university.
If I’ve completed courses at another college or university, can I use them to meet degree requirements at Santa Ana College?
A thorough answer to this question requires a transcript of the courses you've completed along with course descriptions from the catalog. Sometimes a syllabus that was used in the course is also needed. If you have trasncripts from another college or university, please submit them to the Admissions and Records Office prior to scheduling an appointment with a counselor.
Will the courses I take at Santa Ana College transfer to a university?
It depends on the course. We have transfer agreements with California State Universities (CSU), University of California (UC) campus and many private colleges and universities. Each year hundreds of students transfer to universities from SAC after they have completed their lower division general education and major preparation requirements. They have saved thousands of dollars by completing equivalent coursework and many are able to graduate within two years from a university with their Bachelor's degree. For more information, visit our Transfer Center website.
I’ve never attended college before and I don't have a major. Which courses should I take first?
You can start with either Counseling 100, Lifelong Understanding and Self Development, or Counseling 116, Career/Life Planning and Personal Exploration. Both are good courses to take in your first semester. These courses give an overview of the higher education system, show how to research careers and teach exercises for decision making and personal exploration. Other courses recommended for first semester students include: English, Math and Reading.
How do I get more information if I am interested in nursing?
Click here to sign-up online for a nursing orientation.
Where do I go if I am interested in Fire Technology?
Click here for sign-up information.
