Higher Learning A Future So Bright

Exploring available higher education options

Whether it’s a liberal arts degree you’re seeking, or technical training to become a player in the motorsports industry or maybe just taking some classes to keep your mind sharp, the foundations for higher education are firmly planted in the Lake Norman area.

Central Piedmont Community College — Merancas Campus

www.cpcc.edu/locations/merancas-campus

With six campuses in the area, Central Piedmont Community College, established in 1963, offers a broad range of disciplines from which students can choose to study. The Merancas Campus, located in Huntersville, focuses on the college’s Public Safety and Transportation System Technologies programs. Examples of curriculum programs include criminal justice, fire technology and more.

For those interested in pursuing careers in the automotive industry, CPCC – Merancas has courses and degree programs in collision repair technology, diesel and heavy equipment technology, and transportation system technologies.

The college also offers Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) for individuals wishing to enter law enforcement in North Carolina. In addition, the full-service campus provides associate of arts degree classes, college preparatory, GED/ESL and college transfer classes. Students can also take part in a diverse variety of continuing education classes, such as Forklift Certification, NC Vehicle Inspection and NC Vehicle Emissions Inspection (OBD II).

Davidson College

www.davidson.edu

Davidson College, established in 1837, is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 liberal arts colleges in the country, as it offers 31 majors and more than 40 minors and programs, as well as interdisciplinary studies and five pre-professional programs that include pre-law and pre-medicine. Located on a 665-acre main campus, with a 110-acre lake campus, the college has more than 1,900 undergraduate students, with 95% of them living on campus. It is the alma mater to 23 Rhodes Scholars and more than 60 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship recipients.

Students attending Davidson College benefit from a low student to professor ratio (9:1) to allow for a more collaborative, unique academic experience, with an average class size of 17 students.

In 2007 Davidson College developed the Davidson Trust, becoming the first liberal arts college in the country to replace loans with grants in all its financial aid packages. Moreover, the campus is an integral part of the historic town of Davidson, with 90% of the student body participating in some type of community work during the academic year. Athletes at the school compete in 21 sports at the NCAA Division I level.

Mitchell Community College — Mooresville Center

www.mitchellcc.edu/mooresville/

Founded in 1852, Mitchell Community College, based in Statesville, is an open-admissions community college dedicated to meeting the post-secondary education and training needs of nearby residents. In 1983, the college opened the Mooresville Center, located in downtown Mooresville.

Mitchell offers college transfer courses, accounting, business administration, early childhood, information systems, medical assisting, phlebotomy and high school programs. Its GED program has experienced explosive growth over the years. English as a second language classes are taught at three levels and are also gaining in popularity. In addition, the school offers basic skills in the workplace classes, which cover reading, computation, problem solving, communication skills, team-working skills and more.

In recent years, the Mooresville Center expanded with 30,000 square feet of office and classroom space, including 12 classrooms, two science classrooms/ laboratories, one multipurpose room, a student lounge and 12 faculty offices.

Universal Technical Institute

www.uti.edu/Campus-Locations/NTICharlotte-Mooresville

One of 13 campuses located across the United States, the Universal Technical Institute — Mooresville Campus, located conveniently off I-77, offers a wide range of automotive technology courses tailored for the NASCAR industry, in addition to various manufacturer training programs. Also known as the NASCAR Technical Institute, it also offers a CNC Machining Technology program. This campus, which opened in 2002, has more than 50,000 square feet of lab space where students can tackle the basics of engine repair, diagnostics and electrical. The rigorous curriculum covers an extensive list of fundamentals, and the graduate placement rate is high.

The Scoop

For more information about higher learning opportunities in Mecklenburg County, visit the following Web sites:

Johnson & Wales University www.jwu.edu/campuses/charlotte

Johnson C. Smith University www.jcsu.edu

Northeastern University www.northeastern.edu/charlotte

Pfeiffer University www.pfeiffer.edu/student-life/charlotte

Queens University of Charlotte www.queens.edu

UNC Charlotte www.uncc.edu