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Academic Planning

Academic Planning

Academic planning is an important part of the high school student’s personal goal setting.  MCA offers a variety of course options, course levels and two degree plans. Students are each unique and we seek to help each one prepare an appropriate plan to meet his or her own individual goals in high school and beyond. The academic counselor is available on a drop-in basis or by appointment for students and families to discuss individual students’ plans and needs.

General Information for Prerequisite Requirements and Course Placement


Curriculum is purposefully planned to provide appropriate learning without gaps across grade levels within a subject area. As such, the courses are designed to be sequential with foundational building blocks incorporated each year, preparing students for progressively more challenging work. Prerequisite course requirements are in place to ensure students have gained the knowledge necessary for specific courses. As honors, dual credit, and AP courses require a greater measure of knowledge and ability, academic prerequisite requirements which demonstrate a student’s achievement and aptitude in the subject are established to approve student enrollment.

College Prep On Grade Level Coursework
MCA courses are all intentionally designed to prepare students for college level coursework. Since all standard courses offer this added rigor, there is no additional GPA weight given for the grades although they are advanced level courses in comparison to standard coursework at non college preparatory schools. 

Honors Level Coursework
Honors courses at MCA are designed to specifically prepare the student for a college level course in that specific focus of the department. Academic prerequisite requirements must be met for placement in an honors level course.

AP® / Dual Credit Coursework
Advanced Placement (AP®) and Dual Credit (DC) courses are taught at the university level and are taught on the MCA campus. To evaluate a student’s readiness for this level of work at a young age, parents should consider the student’s critical thinking skills, grades earned, organization, time management, and motivation among other factors.

Internships and Aides:
Internships and positions for student aides/assistants exist on campus in the fine arts department, technology department, lower school classrooms, development office, in the offices and the library. Consideration for these positions may include an application, recommendation letters attesting to the spiritual maturity of the student, a review of the discipline record and past academic performance.  These are positions of responsibility. Students earn credit and either grades or a pass/fail on their transcript. 

For more detailed, course-specific prerequisites, please review the Academic Planning Guide and Course Descriptions.