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Student & Parent Information

Helpful Links & Resources

benefits for Students

  • Earn college credit for free
  • Credit applicable towards pre-requisites, certificates, degrees, and/or transfer. Each college or university decides how to apply transferable credit, including credit by exam. Most articulated credit transfers as lower division elective units to 4-year colleges and universities.

Student Required Steps

Students must complete all the following steps. Failure to do so will result in no credit awarded.

  1. Submit a MiraCosta Spring term application every year you are enrolled in an articulated class (even if you applied in the past). For example, for the 2022-23 school year, all students who want credit should submit a Spring 2023 application.
  2. Register on CATEMA, our web-based roster and gradebook. CATEMA is not connected to SURF, and you won't see your enrollment in the class on SURF until after we have enrolled students and transcripted credit for those who met all the requirements.
  3. Earn an A or B in the course AND on the final exam/project/porfolio. We transcript the exam grade with the notation of "Credit by Exam."
  4. Receive recommendation for credit by high school teacher. MiraCosta faculty will determine the grade and credit recommendation for courses articulated with our Media Arts Technologies and Music Technology articulated courses.

MiraCosta Admissions Application & Transcripts

Application Tips and Highlights: Use the above videos and handouts for step-by-step guide to accurately complete your application and avoid delays and/or ineligibility.

  • Submit a CREDIT application for the current school year's SPRING TERM. Submit Spring 2023 application for the 2022-23 school year.
  • Save your CCC Apply account login information in a secure place. MiraCosta doesn't have access, nor are we able to assist with forgotten login information. You will have to go through the "Forgot username or password" steps on the CCC Apply site or contact them directly for assistance.
  • On the Enrollment page, select "Enrolling in high school and college at the same time."

Credit is transcripted over the summer following the school year. It is a lengthy process. Teachers input grades in CATEMA, and we go through numerous steps to input those grades and credit in the MiraCosta SURF system. Our goal is to complete the process by September 1st.

Submit a request online to have your transcripts sent to another institution.

Articulated Credit & College Applications

The guidance regarding how to list articulated credit on college applications comes from the CSU Chancellor's Office and UC Office of the President. Please note: students should not list both the high school and MiraCosta course, as this artificially inflates A-G completion and GPA.

  • Credit earned in 9-11th Grades: DO NOT LIST THE HIGH SCHOOL COURSE. List the MiraCosta course and grade we transcripted. Remember, we transcript the exam grade, not the grade you earned in the course.
  • 12th Grade Articulated Classes: ONLY LIST THE HIGH SCHOOL COURSE. Do not list the MiraCosta course as "In Progress" or "Planned," as you don't know if you will earn the credit. Listing a course and then not earning the credit can be grounds for a university to revoke their offer of admission. If an application has space for you to provide any additional information, you can state that the courses are articulated, and you might earn college credit by exam.

Student & Parent Articulation FAQ

How much does it cost to take an articulated course?
It’s FREE! Regardless of income, high school students don’t pay anything for an articulated course or the textbooks or materials used.
What if I don’t earn an A or B, or my teacher doesn’t recommend me for credit?
If you don’t meet the grade and/or credit recommendation requirements, then the grade isn’t recorded on the college transcript. Your grade will still be recorded on your high school transcript.
Do I have to enroll at MiraCosta College after high school graduation to receive the credit?
While we’d love to have you join our Spartan family, you don’t have to enroll in MiraCosta College after high school in order to receive the credit.
Will the articulated credit transfer to other colleges and universities?

Most credit by exam transfers as lower division elective credit. However, each UC campus will determine if the course completed with a Credit by Exam notation on the transcript will transfer as credit to a specific UC campus. Students can meet with a counselor for more detailed information to see how their credit will likely transfer to a specific CSU or UC campus and major.

Do I have to submit a MiraCosta application and CATEMA registration every year?
Students must submit a new Spring term application and register in CATEMA each year that they are in an articulated course in order for us to transcript the credit. We are unable to transcript credit for students who fail to complete one or both of these steps, even if they met the grade requirements. ALL REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET.
I don’t have a Social Security Number, can I still receive credit for an articulated course?

Yes, you can still receive college credit. A Social Security Number is not required to complete the MCC application. Also, check out our Uprise program for other resources.