College Pathways
Whether you’re a high school student planning your future or an adult looking to start fresh in a new career, NMC has the resources to help you take that next step. We offers a wide range of programs and courses designed to prepare you for the workforce or to transfer to a four-year university. You’ll work with a college advisor who will help you choose courses based on your interests, goals, and life experience.
Our advisors have created the course selection guides below for reference based on possible career and major pathways. Whether you’re just getting started or changing direction, NMC provides the guidance and support to help you succeed.
Interested in a career related to:
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Automotive Service Technician, Transportation Safety, Mechanic, Auto Body Repair *
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Biomedical Engineering, Computer Technology, Electronics Technology, Marine Technology, Programmable Logic Controllers, Robotics & Automation *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
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Business, Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Management, Marketing, Sales *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
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Communications, English, World Languages, Author, Journalist, Teacher, Public Relations *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
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Construction Trades, Electrician, Plumber, Building/Facilities Management, Contractor, Cost Estimator, HVAC/R Specialist *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- CAR-100 – Introductory Craft Skills*
- CAR-101 – Intro to Carpentry*
- EGY-105 – Sustainable Building Design*
- ELE-101 – Introduction to Electrical*
- ENG-111 – Composition
- HVA-101 – Intro to HVAC/R*
- MTH-111 – Intermediate Algebra (for AAS degree programs)
- MTH-120 – Mathematical Explorations (for certificate programs)
- PLU-101 – Intro to Plumbing *
- Love it? Follow up with:
- CAR-102 – Intro to Woodworking*
- CAR-103 – Construction Blueprint Reading*
- CMT-107 – Construction Supervision*
- EGY-115 – Residential Energy Efficiency*
- ELE-105 – Beginning Residential Electrical*
- ENG-112 – Composition II
- HVA-106 – Fundamentals of Heating*
- MTH-121 – College Algebra (for AAS degree programs or transfer)
- * Courses have differential tuition, check with your high school first.
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
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Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, Public Health, Case Management *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
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Criminal justice: federal agent, lawyer, corrections, homeland security *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
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Education, Child Development, Teaching
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
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Engineering *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
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Forensic scientist, crime scene investigator, coroner *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
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Graphic Design, Commercial Art, Fine Arts, Film & Media *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
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Healthcare: Nursing, Surgical Technology, Dental Assisting *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
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Helping Plants, Animals, and the Environment, Lakes & Natural Resources *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
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Information technology manager, cybersecurity, programming, web & app development, network support, artificial intelligence, computer science *
- Developer courses:
- CIT-110 – Programming Logic & Design
- CIT-178 – Relational Databases
- CIT-180 – Web Development
- ENG-111 – Composition
- ENG-112 – Composition II
- MTH-111 – Intermediate Algebra
- PHL-105 – Critical Thinking
- Infrastructure & Security Courses:
- CIT-112 – Scripting & Automation
- CIT-135 – Intro to Programming Using Python
- CIT-213 – Networking Technologies
- ENG-111 – Composition
- ENG-112 – Composition II
- MTH-111 – Intermediate Algebra
- PHL-105 – Critical Thinking
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
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Performing Arts, Musician, Performer, Audio Engineer, Sound Engineer, Composer, Dance *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
- AUD-110 - Studio Recording I
- AUD-120 - Digital Audio I
- AUD-130 - Live Sound I
- DNC-101 - Beginning Dance
- ENG-112 - English Composition II
- MTH-120 - Mathematical Explorations
- MUS-102 - Music Theory
- MUS-104 - Sight Singing & Ear Training
- MUS-107 - Class Piano II
- MUS-214-MUS-221 - Music Ensembles
- MUS-240-MUS-267 - Applied Music Lessons
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
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Pre-Medicine, Pre-Dental, Pre-Veterinary medicine *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
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Pursuing NMC's police academy: Law Enforcement, Detective, Police/DNR Officer, Public Safety, Loss Prevention *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
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Welding, Machining, Manufacturing, Fabrication, Drafting & Design *
- First Year/Intro Courses/Exploratory Courses:
- Love it? Follow up with:
Undecided or still deciding on a future career/major? *
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Try these general education exploratory courses (start with 100-level courses):
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Communications
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Humanities
- ART-100 – Art Appreciation
- ART-111 – History of Western Art I
- ART-112 – History of Western Art II
- ART-213 – Modern Art History
- HST-101 – Western Civilizations to 1500AD
- HST-101 – Western Civilizations from 1500
- HST-111 – US History to 1865
- HST-112 – US History since 1865
- HST-212 – African-American History
- HST-213 – American Women's History
- HST-225 – American Civil War
- HST-230 – The Vietnam War
- HST-235 – 20th Century Europe
- HUM-101 – Introduction to Humanities
- HUM-103 – Introduction to Humanities II
- HUM-116 – World Cultures
- ENG-210 – Children's Literature
- ENG-240 – Introduction to Literature
- ENG-241 – World Mythology
- ENG-246 – British Literature I
- ENG-265 – Science Fiction and Fantasy
- ENG-267 – Film as Literature
- ENG-271 – Adolescent Literature
- MUS-110 – Music Appreciation Standard Lit.
- MUS-111 – Music Appreciation Jazz
- MUS-129 – History of Rock and Roll
- MUS-201 – Theory of Music
- MUS-202 – Theory of Music II
- PHL-101 – Introduction to Philosophy
- PHL-105 – Critical Thinking
- PHL-201 – Ethics
- PHL-202 – Contemporary Ethical Dilemmas
- PHL-203 – Environmental Ethics
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Mathematics
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Sciences
- AST-109 – Planetary Astronomy
- AST-119 – Astronomy
- BIO-106 – Human Biology
- BIO-108 – Plant Biology
- BIO-110 – Essential Biology
- BIO-115 – General Biology I
- BIO-116 – General Biology II
- BIO-208 – Microbiology
- BIO-215 – Genetics
- BIO-227 – Anatomy & Physiology I
- BIO-228 – Anatomy & Physiology II
- CHM-101 – Introductory Chemistry
- CHM-150 – General Chemistry
- CHM-151 – General Chemistry
- CHM-201 – Intro to Organic Chemistry
- CHM-250 – Organic Chemistry I
- CHM-251 – Organic Chemistry II
- ENV-103 – Earth Science
- ENV-104 – Life of the Past
- ENV-111 – Physical Geology
- ENV-112 – Historical Geology
- ENV-117 – Meteorology and Climatology
- ENV-140 – Watershed Science
- PHY-105 – Physics of the World Around Us
- PHY-121 – General Physics (Trig-based)
- PHY-122 – General Physics II (Trig-based)
- PHY-221 – Problems & Principles of Physics I (Calc-based)
- PHY-222 – Problems & Principles of Physics I (Calc-based)
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Social Sciences
- ANT-113 – Cultural Anthropology
- ECO-201 – Macroeconomics
- ECO-202 – Microeconomics
- GEO-101 – Introduction to Geography
- GEO-108 – Geography of US & Canada
- PLS-101 – Intro to American Politics
- PLS-132 – Comparative Politics
- PLS-211 – International Relations
- PSY-101 – Intro to Psychology
- PSY-211 – Developmental Psychology
- PSY-223 – Intro to Social Psychology
- PSY-225 – Human Sexuality
- PSY-250 – Abnormal Psychology
- SOC-101 – Intro to Sociology
- SOC-201 – Modern Social Problems
- SOC-220 – Gender and Society
- SOC-231 – Deviance and Criminal Behavior
- SOC-260 – Race and Ethnicity
- MTH-120 – Mathematical Exploration (for Law Enforcement AAS degree or Police Academy)
- ENG-111 – Composition
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* EDU-100 – College Success is recommended as a first class, especially for 10th grade students, or students with a GPA less than 3.0.
Contact Us
Katie Koester
Traverse City Central High School class of 2023
"Being able to stay close to where I’ve grown up makes me feel more comfortable.... I’m excited to be a part of NMC and see where life can take me.”
Course Transfer Information
See how these courses transfer to other Michigan colleges and universities.
Lower Dual Enrollment Tuition Rate
The new rate of $160 per contact hour for students from outside Grand Traverse County will allow hundreds more students to access a fast track to an affordable college degree by dual-enrolling at NMC while still in high school, usually as a junior or senior. Read more here.