Earn College Credits
WCA offers students the opportunity to get a head start on earning college credits while still in high school through the following options:
Advanced Placement (AP)
These courses prepare students to take the nationally recognized AP exams created by the College Board. All students taking AP courses at WCA are required to sit for that course’s exam. College credits are awarded by colleges and universities based on the AP test scores a student receives. Admission into an AP course is based on a student’s grades and administrative and teacher approval. For a representative list of the AP courses WCA regularly offers, visit our Course of Study page.
Dual Credit Programs
WCA partners with two institutions of higher learning to offer students dual-credit courses: Cape Fear Community College (for math and science courses) and Colorado Christian University (for English and history courses). With few exceptions, WCA instructors teach these courses on campus. Grades earned and courses taken in this program appear on both the student's high school transcripts (with additional GPA weight) and college transcripts (as unweighted college credits). Additional fees for these courses must be paid by the student directly to the respective institution.
Cape Fear Community College / College & Career Promise The College & Career Promise (CCP) is North Carolina’s dual credit program available to all qualifying North Carolina students. Admission into the CCP program requires an additional application process, so qualifying students will be enrolled at both WCA and in college-level classes at Cape Fear Community College (CFCC). CFCC offers CCP classes locally to juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old and meet enrollment requirements. Eligibility for the CCP is based on a student’s grade point average (GPA) or a student’s entrance testing scores (such as ACT or SAT scores). Students will apply for CCP classes through WCA College & Career services. WCA is now offering CHM 151 & 152, MAT 171 & 172, and MAT 271 as courses with a total of 20 hours credit from CFCC. Other courses will be available as they are approved.
Colorado Christian University (CCU) As part of its dual credit program, CCU partners with high schools to offer students the option of earning college credits from faculty with advanced degrees right at a student’s own school. While no application directly to CCU is necessary, admission to WCA’s classes is based on grades and administrative and teacher approval. WCA’s qualifying faculty are approved to offer HIS 206 (The Making of the Modem America) ENG 102 (Composition and Rhetoric), and ENG 201 (Introduction to Literature) for a total of 9 credits from CCU. Students must register with CCU to receive the college credits, and will only be awarded credits for classes in which they earn a C or higher.
Dual Enrollment Programs
Admission into dual enrollment courses requires an additional application process that often includes an evaluation of a student’s grade point average (GPA) and/or entrance testing scores (such as ACT or SAT scores). For instance, the CFCC CCP program mentioned above is a dual enrollment program that WCA recognizes for dual credit, whereas the CCU program is only for dual credit because it does not require a separate application process. Any additional fees associated with dual enrollment must be paid by the student directly. Grades earned and courses taken in dual enrollment that are not approved by administration for dual credit appear only on the student's college transcripts. No high school credit is earned unless the courses have been approved. In addition to the CCP dual enrollment program, WCA facilitates online dual enrollment through other colleges and universities on an as needed basis with the approval of the administration.
College Placement Testing
After graduation, students are encouraged to take subject placement tests at the college they will attend. WCA students taking these tests have scored well enough to waive freshman level courses and be placed in more advanced classes.