Early College Programs

• Students can take up to 15 credits (high school schedules permitting). Tuition and fees will be waived.
• Check out all of the courses currently available through our Self Service tool. Search by semester, department, faculty and more.
• Juniors and seniors with a high school GPA of 2.7 or higher can place into college-level classes, or they may take the Accuplacer placement exam.
• Students interested in taking Pre-Calculus, Calculus or higher are required to take the Math Accuplacer.
• Fifteen credits is a full course load. The College does not encourage all students to take 15 credits. Students must take their high school schedule, classes, sports and extra-curricular activities into account.
• A low GPA and Withdraws can affect a student's future financial aid eligibility. See the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy for more details.
• To enroll, Download the early college registration form
• Students taking nine credits or more will automatically be charged for health insurance. If students have health insurance of their own, they may waive the insurance fee at Gallagher Student Health and Special Risk.
• To check pre-requisites, please refer to the BCC College Catalog.
• Students who currently have an IEP or 504 plan can contact BCC's Disability Resource Center.

Who can apply for Early College?

To be eligible for Early College, a student must meet the following criteria:

• Be a local high school student (includes home-schooled students)
• Be a Massachusetts resident
• Be placed at a college level by GPA (2.7 or higher) or by taking the Accuplacer

What are the different types of Early College enrollment?

There are two ways you can earn college credit while in high school:

1. Concurrent Enrollment: High school students take a high school course for college credit. The high school course must pass an approval process with Berkshire Community College. Check with your school or contact the BCC Early College Team to check availability at your school.
   • Teachers who are interested in getting a course reviewed for consideration of college credit approval can access the Concurrent Course Request form (PDF).
2. Dual Enrollment: High school students take college courses and receive college credit. Students are responsible for cost of tuition and fees, books and transportation.

How do I know if I am eligible to take a course?

Some courses have pre-requisites (requirements before taking the course), meaning you must be considered college-level reading and writing. Certain courses require a specific level of math.

You can demonstrate college-level reading and writing one of two ways:

• High school GPA of 2.7 or higher
• Scored college-level reading and writing by taking our Accuplacer placement exam

Depending on the math requirement, you may be placed into a course based on high school GPA; otherwise, the Accuplacer exam is required.

What kind of classes may I take in Early College?

You may take any college course that interests you, provided you meet the requirements of the course (based on your Accuplacer score or your high school GPA). You should always check with your school counselor to make sure you will receive high school credit for the course.

The BCC Early College Team can help choose the best course for you.

Where do I go to take an Early College course?

You can take a course on BCC's Main Campus or at any of our off-campus sites. Online courses are also available.

What are some high school concurrent courses?

Recent concurrent courses include:

Taconic High School

• Health Technology Program - BIO-150 (3 credits)
• Human Anatomy and Physiology - BIO-150 (3 credits)

Pittsfield High School

• Human Anatomy and Physiology - BIO-150 (3 credits)

Lee High School

• AP English - ENG-101 and ENG-102(6 credits)
• AP Statistics - MAT-123 (3 credits)
• Spanish 4 Honors - SPA-201 (4 credits)
• AP Biology - BIO-105 (4 credits)
• AP Physics - PHY-101 (4 credits)

Wahconah Regional High School

• Human Anatomy and Physiology - BIO-150 (3 credits)
• Environmental Science - ENV-101 (4 credits)

Monument Mountain Regional High School

• Early Childhood Education - ECE-104 (3 credits)
• Personal Finance - BUS-139 (3 credits)

What other ways can I earn credits?

Are you in a vocational program at your high school? You too can earn college credits for classes you're already taking! Check out the Career Vocational Technical Education (CVTE) program for a full list of classes at your high school.

Make transitioning to college easier

Important Dates for Academic Year 2023 – 2024 (Fall Semester)

• Fall 2023 semester begins: Sept. 5
• Drop/add period: Sept. 5 through 12
• Last day for course withdrawals (W grades): Nov. 8
• Last day for course withdrawals (WP/WF grades): Dec. 1

About Drop/Add/Withdrawal Process

Students will need to meet with their BCC advisor and complete/submit specific forms depending on their withdrawal request. The BCC advisor will also reach out the school counselors prior to processing any course withdrawal paperwork. If you have questions about the add/drop or course withdrawal process, please email earlycollege@berkshirecc.edu.

Course Catalog

See below for a Guide to Course Formats and also a Link to the Course Catalog

Lecture (In-Person) at BCC Campus- usually meets 3 hours per week

Lecture/Online means a hybrid course- there is a regular course meeting time, usually on campus. Lecture/Online courses have a large online component. Look for the time and location of the In-Person meeting; it is listed under “meeting information”. 

Virtual/Lecture means there is a regular course meeting time, usually virtually. Virtual/Lecture has a large online component- Look for the time and location of the In-Person meeting; it is listed under “meeting information”.

Online is 100% Online Asynchronous (when no meeting time is listed).

Please use this link to search for courses each term:

Course Catalog – Ellucian Student Application

Application Form

Use this link for the most up-to-date version of our application.

For Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities should set up a meeting with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to submit appropriate documentation and request course accommodations. To do so, students should complete the Application for Disability Services (Note: This process can take up to six weeks to complete).