Minnesota West Community and Technical College (MWCTC) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

Minnesota West Community and Technical College is a comprehensive community and technical college providing specialized technical and liberal arts/transfer majors to students. The institute was founded on January 1, 1997, with a merger between Worthington Community College and Southwestern Technical College. Minnesota West is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. The Granite Falls Campus take prides in its quality education with accessibility for many diverse types of students. Apart from the Granite Falls Campus, Minnesota West also operates other campuses such as Canby Campus, Pipestone Campus, Worthington Campus, and Jackson Campus.

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Information Summary

Ranks 49th in Minnesota and 2067th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	62.4
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$18,292
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	16 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	63% / 40%
Enrollment Total (all students)	3,362

Academics

Minnesota West is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools (NCA). The institute also holds other discipline based accreditations and memberships such as American Dental Association, Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), Minnesota Board of Nursing, Minnesota State Approving Agency for Veterans Education, United States Department of Education, and National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

Granite Falls meets the diverse needs of the workforce and community by providing a variety of online, technical, and liberal art courses. Whether a student wants to complete a course and get transfer or earn a degree, the Granite Falls campus has a range of educational options available to choose from. The College is a leader in the Minnesota and the upper Midwest in the Renewable Energy and Computerized Manufacturing.

Minnesota West offers associate’s degrees, diplomas, and certificates in more than 60 areas of study. Students can choose from the different majors including liberal arts and sciences; agriculture, agriculture operations, and related sciences; computer science; personal services; business, management, and related support services; manufacturing and related majors; construction, electrical and related programs; transportation and health.

Online Education:

Minnesota West offers online education for students who are unable to attend a traditional college due to various reasons. Such students can easily take up the Internet based courses that are parallel to the campus based programs. These online courses are taught by the faculty who work with the students throughout the course. Some of the online degrees and certificates offered at Minnesota West are accounting, biofuels technology: biodiesel, (computer) applications specialist, information security and assurance, liberal arts, practical nursing (online) diploma, supervisory leadership in management, medical administrative secretary, and medical coding specialist.

Most Popular Fields of Study

Admissions

Students seeking admission to Minnesota West must have a high school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) certificate. Freshman applicants must send the complete application form along with the official transcripts and ACT/SAT score(s) to Minnesota West. Getting a transfer to the college is easy. Transfer students must send the application form along with all the official transcripts from previously attended institutes. International students are encouraged to apply for admission to Minnesota West. Students, whose native language is not English, must provide a proof of their proficiency in the language.

Financial Aid

Minnesota West offers financial aid programs to help the needy and deserving students meet their educational expenses. They offer financial assistance through different mediums. The scholarships and grants are considered as gift aids, while loans and student employment programs are the self-help aids. All students seeking financial aid must complete the online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.

Some of the scholarships offered at Minnesota West are Schwan’s Scholarship, Murl E. Anderson Scholarship, Narvestad Scholarship, Part-Time Student Scholarship, Prairie’s Edge Casino Scholarship, Women in Non-Traditional Careers Scholarship, and John E. Donahue Memorial Scholarship. The college also offers several discipline based scholarships such as Fluid Power Scholarships, Auto Body Respirator Scholarship, and Del Bresson Scholarship.

Minnesota West offers a variety of federal and state grants including Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG, TEACH Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Institutional Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Minnesota State Grant, and Child Care Grant. Loans are the type of financial aid that must be repaid with interest. Some of the loans offered are Direct Loan, Perkins Loan, and PLUS Loan for Parents. Minnesota West also offers student employment programs to help the students take up part-time job to pay for college expenses.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 5494th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Minnesota.

Students

Student life at Minnesota West is packed with events, activities and lots of fun. The campus experience is not limited to the classes alone, but there is much more that leads to the overall development of the students. The campus hosts a variety of clubs and organizations which include Alpha Nu Kappa, Business Professionals of America, Intercollegiate Athletics, and Skills USA. Student Senate is the student government body that acts as the voice of the student body. It functions as a communication link between the students and the administration and faculty.

Campus Facilities:

Library and Academic Resource Center (LARC) at Minnesota West houses over 80,000 items cataloged and more than 200 periodical magazines and scholarly journals, and subscriptions. The site provides online access to books, reference websites, journal articles, and other library services. It also offers interlibrary loan for books and periodical articles. The library also provides individualized and small group tutoring. SMARTHINKING is a live online tutoring service, available to the students anytime, anywhere.

The Career Center at Minnesota West prepares the students for the job market, by connecting them with the leading employers. The existing and prospective students are encouraged to take the free career assessment tool to determine which profession would suit them. You can register with the Minnesota Works to get details of the current job openings within Minnesota and the surrounding regions.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Athletics

Minnesota West’s athletic department sponsors men’s and women’s teams in diverse sports such as basketball, basketball, golf, volleyball, softball, football, and wrestling. The teams are a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association and Minnesota College Athletic Conference. The athletic teams are nicknamed the Bluejays.

Local Community

Granite Falls is a safe, beautiful and friendly city, set in the striking Minnesota River Valley. It offers a pleasant small town atmosphere, affable residents, and picturesque views. Granite Falls offers the opportunity to experience fine shopping and outstanding customer service. Some of the places to see include the Kilowatt Community Center, Sorlien Park, Yellow Medicine County Historical Museum, and the Prairie’s Edge Casino and Resort.

Additional School Information

Minnesota West’s Customized Training Services provide short term, part-time credit and courses, continuing education units, and customized training to the individual businesses, agencies, and industries. The training can be tailored to meet the needs of the client and can be offered on-site. Some of the services include new employee training, technical assistance, re-training of existing employees, research and development for the training programs and continuing education services for individuals. The customized training services are offered in the following areas computer technology, management and professional development, manufacturing and applied technology, health and wellness, and public safety.

Bibliography

Minnesota West Community & Technical College. 2010.

DeAngelis, Therese. Vocational and Technical Schools West 2010-2011. Peterson’s, 2010. Print.

Minnesota West Community and Technical College