Specialized Academic Programs and Services

Community Education

Community Education offers non-credit, self-enrichment programs and services for residents of all ages and interests. Community Education provides most of its offerings online.

Corporate College and Professional Development

Students and community members who wish to begin a career, update their current professional skills, fulfill mandatory continuing education requirements, optimize employee performance or enhance their businesses, will find courses that address their needs at the Seminole State Corporate College.  

Professional development programs, short courses, conferences and seminars provide participants who are employed in various occupations with up-to-date information and skills. These offerings satisfy the mandatory requirements for re-licensure and recertification within a particular field. The Corporate College provides most of its offerings online.

eLearning

elearning provides students with learning opportunities outside the traditional classroom setting. Depending on program requirements, students may be able to complete many of the required courses or even entire degree programs online via distance learning.

Seminole State offers two main types of online courses:

• Online courses: Course delivery, assignments and most or all testing are conducted online. The courses rely on email, discussion forums, chat and other tools within Sakai, the College's online learning management system, for interaction between students and instructors. Some courses also incorporate online streaming video or podcasts. Although these courses are online, some instructors may require a proctored midterm or final exam. This will be noted in the online course syllabus.
• Hybrid courses: Hybrid courses combine the convenience of online study with limited on-campus sessions. The courses, which are identified as "reduced campus time" in the online course catalog, share many of the same requirements as online course. However, students meet on campus at least half of the time, with the other half of the course delivered online.

Good time-management skills, motivation and self discipline are essential for success in any distance learning environment. Seminole State recommends that students speak with an academic advisor before registering for a distance learning course. Students also are encouraged to review the Successful Distance Learning Skills Survey online to help them determine if this mode of instruction is suited to their learning style.

For more information visit www.seminolestate.edu/elearning.

Honors Institute

The Art & Phyllis Grindle Honors Institute offers programs for students who want to enrich their academic experience. Students involved in the Honors Institute are eligible for scholarships, faculty advisors and travel/study opportunities. The following programs are available:

• Honors Diploma
• Honors Certificate
• Phi Theta Kappa
• Science Merit Diploma
• Science Diploma

Contact the Honors Institute at 407.708.2335 for more information.

Honors Diploma and Honors Certificate

The Honors Diploma Program is a 23-credit curriculum that offers qualifying students a unique academic opportunity to broaden and enrich their college experiences. The primary goal is to provide an atmosphere for talented students to learn to think critically, grow intellectually and expand their education beyond the classroom into the public arena. The program offers enriching classes in all areas of the General Education requirements. Additionally, students are encouraged to attend conferences to present scholarly papers, as well as experience and participate in related cultural and social activities offered within the College and the community.

Upon completing a minimum of 23 honors credits, students in the program graduate with an Associate in Arts Honors Diploma. The Honors Institute also offers an Honors Certificate program. Students who qualify for the Honors Diploma program may elect to earn a minimum of 13 credit hours in honors classes to receive a certificate upon graduation. The certificate may be earned in the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees.

Seminole State Honors students traditionally excel. Many have earned prestigious scholarships, such as the Woodrow Wilson Scholarship and the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship, upon transferring to four-year institutions in Florida, the United States and abroad. In addition, they earn places on the All-USA Academic Teams sponsored by USA Today, as well as nominations for inclusion in Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities.

Honors classes typically have 16-22 students. Consequently, ample opportunity is available for students to bond with each other and their professors. Intellectual growth occurs when collaborative and experiential learning, hands-on activities and intellectual interaction can be offered because of the small classes.

Seminole State's Honors Diploma program is available for students who meet these qualifications:

• High school seniors: A minimum GPA of 3.2, a minimum score of 1050 or higher on the SAT I or a minimum of 23 or higher on the ACT. Those who take the PERT must have a minimum score of 109 in reading, 104 in sentence structure and a minimum of 118 in math.
• College students: Complete a minimum of six hours of credit courses with a minimum GPA of 3.2. Higher scores than minimums are preferred on all entrance tests.

In addition, students are required to submit letters of recommendation, participate in an interview and complete an on-campus writing sample. Once admitted to the Honors Diploma program, students must maintain a 3.2 GPA. Those who are uncertain of their qualifications as previously explained are urged to apply or call for more information. Questions and concerns can be discussed during the interview process.

Scholarships are available to Honors students who maintain the required GPA. For more information, contact the Honors Institute at 407.708.2335 or honors@seminolestate.edu.

Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa is the International Honors Society for two-year colleges. The Pi Lambda Chapter at Seminole State College has won numerous honors, including the coveted "Distinguished Chapter Award," and it is one of the most active organizations on campus. Students from any discipline with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and 12 college credits are welcome to join. After joining, students must maintain a minimum 3.2 GPA to maintain membership. Contact the Honors Institute at 407.708.2335 for more information.

Science Diploma/Science Merit Diploma

Students who desire a Science Diploma or Science Merit Diploma must complete and submit to the Science Diploma coordinator a Science Diploma Application, two letters of recommendation from former or current professors, an unofficial copy of their transcripts and a personal letter of application that describes the academic and career goals that make them a desirable Science Diploma candidate. They must also take at least eight science/math courses (seven required courses and one elective course) that follow one of two tracks:

• Track A: Biology, Chemistry, Health or Pharmacy
• Track B: Mathematics, Actuarial Science, Engineering or Physics

Students must also take two semesters of seminar courses, which may be any one or two of the science seminar courses which focus on research, science careers or environmental issues in alternating semesters and/or one of the math applications courses.

These courses provide a diverse and strong educational foundation in lower-division coursework for students who plan to major in the hard sciences or the health, mathematics or engineering fields. Successful completion of the required courses result in less time spent at the university and a higher probability of admission to limited-access programs. Scholarship money is available to students who qualify and some universities also provide scholarships for Seminole State Science Diploma transfers.

• A Science Diploma is awarded to those students who complete the eight science and math courses and the two science seminars with a GPA of 2.0-3.29 in those courses.
• A Science Merit Diploma is awarded to those students who complete the eight science and math courses and the two science seminars with a GPA of 3.3 or higher in those courses.

Students must submit their transcripts by the midterm of the semester in which they plan to graduate and have no more than two withdrawals on their transcript. If more than two withdrawals are present, approval must be granted from the Science and Honors Departments to receive a Science Diploma or Science Merit Diploma.

Track A: Biology, Chemistry, Health or Pharmacy

Required courses:

• General Biology I (BSC 1010C)
• General Biology II (BSC 1011C)
• General Chemistry I (CHM 2045C)
• General Chemistry II with Qualitative Analysis (CHM 2046C)
• General Physics I (PHY 1053C)
• General Physics II (PHY 1054C)
• or Physics with Calculus I (PHY2048C)
• or Physics with Calculus II (PHY 2049C)
• Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (MAC 2311)
• Science Seminar (two semesters) or Science Seminar (one semester) and Math Applications (one semester)

Track B: Mathematics, Actuarial Science, Engineering or Physics

Required courses:

• General Chemistry I (CHM 2045C)
• General Chemistry II with Qualitative Analysis (CHM 2046C)
• Physics with Calculus I (PHY 2048C)
• Physics with Calculus II (PHY 2049C)
• Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (MAC 2311)
• Analytic Geometry and Calculus II (MAC 2312)
• Analytic Geometry and Calculus III (MAC 2313)
• Science Seminar (two semesters) or Science Seminar (one semester) and Math Applications (one semester)

Elective Courses

Choose any one upper-level course:

• Anatomy and Physiology I (BSC 2093C)
• Anatomy and Physiology II (BSC 2094C)
• Organic Chemistry I (CHM 2210C)
• Organic Chemistry II (CHM 2211C)
• Physical Geology with Lab (GLY 2010C)
• Microbiology (MCB 2010C)
• Analytic Geometry and Calculus II (MAC 2312)
• Analytic Geometry and Calculus III (MAC 2313)
• Elementary Differential Equations (MAP 2302)
• Statistical Methods I (STA 2023)

For more information, call the Honors Institute at 407.708.2335 or the Science Diploma coordinator at 407.708.2208.

Center for Economic Development

The Center for Economic Development focuses on developing and enhancing Seminole County's business community. The center offers the following programs:

• Small Business Development Center (SBDC): The SBDC provides free, one-on-one consultation to small business owners and pre-venture clients.  The SBDC, which has offices at the Port of Sanford, the Oviedo and Heathrow campuses, also offers seminars on a variety of business issues. For more information, call 407.321.3495 or visit sbdc.seminolestate.edu.
• Seminole Technology Business Incubation Center (STBIC):  This award-winning incubator is located adjacent to Interstate 4 in the Port of Sanford. A home to early-phase businesses that want to accelerate their growth profile, the STBIC provides low-cost and shared facilities along with daily access to on-site business consultants.  For more information, call 407.321.3495 or visit seminoleinc.com.
• Seminole Advisory Board Council: The Council, funded by the Seminole County Economic Development Department, provides services to owners of existing businesses who want to move their companies to the next level. Companies are matched with a volunteer board of advisors to assist with planning for the next phase of growth. For more information about the Seminole Advisory Board Council, call 407.708.4418 or visit seminoleadvisoryboard.com.
• Workforce grants: The Center assists qualified firms with the application and delivery of workforce training grants. Expanding businesses may be eligible for grants to help them train their employees.  The Center works with these companies to determine which grants may be appropriate and, if needed, to develop a training program.  For more information, call 407.708.4458. 
• Entrepreneurial education: The Center offers programs to help individuals attain economic independence by advancing educational achievement and entrepreneurial success.

Workforce Development

The American workplace is undergoing a rapid evolution, which is affecting the way people work, how they are prepared for today's workforce and how they are educated throughout their careers. A common goal for education and business has emerged: a strong educational foundation that combines general education with specific professional and technical coursework best prepares the workforce for today's careers. Continuing education provides professionals the means to remain current with industry changes and emerging technologies. It also supports continued success and ensures the strength of the regional economy. As a full partner in achieving this goal, Seminole State College is leading the way in the Central Florida workforce development movement.

Seminole State has long been a leader in the traditional workforce development programs, offering associate degrees, technical certificates, continuing education courses and customized training courses for specific businesses; however, the College's vision has grown. Seminole State now collaborates with local businesses and organizations to leverage private, state and federal resources redirected into educating employees for Florida's targeted high-skill, high-wage occupations.

Additionally, Seminole State offers a seamless educational experience from adult basic skills to certificate or degree programs which provide the opportunity for entry into the local workforce or continuing toward a bachelor's degree at Seminole State or one of Florida's state universities.

In response to the rising expectations and credentials required by today's businesses and industries, Seminole State has developed five new bachelor's degree programs. Each degree program was developed through close collaboration with our industry partners and active advisory committees.