Daytona State’s “mini-mester” makes for accelerated program completion

2nd chance at spring classes – Get there faster!
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 1, 2016) - Daytona State College's seven-week mid-semester courses

are designed for students who want to earn their degrees as quickly as possible, as well as for any who want a second chance at  getting spring classes under their belts.

These courses are the same full-credit courses offered during the college's traditional 15-week semesters, only they're condensed into seven weeks. The next "mini-mester" starts March 21, with a number of online options. Online is a huge success at DSC – Daytona State boasts four-years running among the Top 10 Best Online Bachelor's Programs in the nation, and in 2015 and 2016 the college also ranked in the Top 10 for Best Online Bachelor's for Veterans in the country.

Many seven-week courses apply to the general education core that satisfy the requirements of the associate of arts degree, including:

• State and Local Government –- an introduction to the principles and institutions of state and local government with emphasis on Florida. Explores the structures and functions of state governments, including federal-state and state-local relations.
• World Geography - a study of the Earth in spatial terms, place names of major countries and world regions, maps, globes and physical-human phenomena of environments and places.
• General Psychology – a scientific study of human behavior in relation to our development, motivation, emotion, perception learning and thinking.  
• Managing Your Success - designed to assist students in becoming engaged learners while transitioning to Daytona State College. Emphasis is on orienting students to college resources, academic expectations and career planning, time/money management, technology, student services/organizations and academic integrity. 
• Mathematics I (Pre-Algebra) - a review of the basic arithmetic operations of whole numbers, mixed numbers, fractions, decimals and percents, ratio and proportion, basic operations of real numbers, simplifying algebra expressions and solving basic linear equations.
• Human Biology - an introduction to scientific inquiry in relationship to the human body, its systems and basic functions with emphasis on homeostasis mechanisms. Not intended for science majors.
• Music Appreciation -  designed to establish a broad understanding of Western and Non-western musical styles. An emphasis will be placed upon critical listening skills, the recognition of fundamental musical elements and the roles of music in society from ancient to modern times. 

Daytona State AA students have a special path to transfer upon graduation to the University of Central Florida through the nationally recognized DirectConnect to UCF program. Through DirectConnect, DSC and UCF guide students from their freshman year at DSC through senior year at UCF to ensure success.

Students pursuing certificate and/or business programs can also take advantage of some expedited courses, such as:

• Advertising - an in-depth review of advertising, including consumer behavior, relationship marketing, advertising planning, media selection, public relations and integrating marketing communications.
• Excel for the Office – this course provides the opportunity for the student to learn the fundamentals of a spreadsheet application and to gain an in-depth understanding of a spreadsheet program that allows the student to organize data, complete calculations, make decisions, graph data and develop professional looking spreadsheets.

The college's Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management is specifically designed for individuals with busy lifestyles wanting to take their career to the next level; mid-semester courses include:

• Selected Topics in Management - current topics, issues, and trends pertinent to supervisors and managers are discussed. Topical selections rotate each term; view course search information for details on topics offered each term. 
• Leadership Challenges and Supervision - discussion and application of leadership theories include skill formation to develop leadership abilities, emphasizing team-building skills to enhance leadership effectiveness. Students learn the importance of visioning in their organizations.

The college's Bachelor of Science in Education is design to prepare students to design, develop and implement effective classroom management techniques and instructional strategies; mid-semester courses include:

• Introduction to the Teaching Profession - introduces pre-service teachers to the education profession. Pre-service teachers will understand the historical, sociological and philosophical foundations of the profession as well as the challenges educators face in the 21st century. This course requires 15 hours of field experience in the public schools. .
• Children's Literature -  presenting new and outstanding titles in literature for elementary children. Topics include authors and illustrators, surveys the genres of children's literature, principles of selection, evaluation, and integration of literature, fiction and nonfiction in a variety of formats to enrich classroom activities and recreational and lifelong reading.

To search for these and other seven-week courses, visit DaytonaState.edu, click on Course Search, select college credit and then subsession Spring B.

For additional information, call (386) 506-3059.

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