Pima Community College: A Superb Institution in Tucson, AZ

When Does Pima Community College Start? 

Pima Community College offers comprehensive and flexible life-long learning options as an open-admissions community college in the culturally and racially diverse setting of Pima County, AZ. This is to support learner success and to empower every student, every day, for every goal, with their programs throughout the year. 

Arizona Community College’s degrees and certificates will prepare you for a satisfying career.

Asian female student

All About the Origins of Pima Community College

Pima County, Arizona residents overwhelmingly approved creating a junior college system in 1966. This vote led to the founding of Pima Community College.

A five-member governing board chosen by the county superintendent of schools created the framework for the new institution. The board established educational objectives, drafted a financial strategy, picked a president, and decided on a campus location with assistance from citizen committees. 

The following year, Pima County residents voted for a board to take the place of the appointed officials. The electorate also approved the $5.9 million bond issuance for the college.

On 108.5 hectares (267 acres) in the Tucson Mountains’ foothills west of the city, work on the original campus started in 1969.

Requirements and Info to Study at Pima Community College

Location

Campuses and locations for Pima Community College are all across the greater Tucson area. Most Pima students attend classes on several campuses and are free to use the student services offices, libraries, and other facilities at any PCC location. Tucson’s Southwest neighborhoods and businesses get services from the Desert Vista Campus.

Desert Vista Campus

Early Childhood Education, Post-Secondary Teacher Education, and the College’s award-winning Culinary Arts and Hospitality programs are all on this site. In addition, the College also offers short-term programs that intend to help students transition into the workforce rapidly. 

These include Certified Nursing Assistant and Licensed Nursing Assistant, Business Technology, Medical Office, Surgical Technology, and Technology.

The Center for Integrated Learning is a cutting-edge location that provides tutoring, adult education, library services, study spaces, and a computer commons. Numerous government grants that offer essential student services and academic support are in Desert Vista.

Students already enrolled at Pima and nearby pre-college students can benefit from TRIO College programs and TRIO Pre-College programs, including Educational Talent Search, Upward Bound, and Veterans Upward Bound.

Students have access to cooperation with the Desert Vista Fitness Center, which is close to the campus.

Downtown Campus

The Downtown Campus, in the center of the city, is home to several business and industry programs, general education classes, and a comprehensive selection of support services. The Pima Community College Downtown campus address is 1255 N. Stone Ave. Tucson, AZ 85709-3000

East Campus

The College’s information technology and veterinary technology departments are at the East Campus, accommodating students doing general education and transfer courses.

Students get the chance to work in the Makerspace, a cutting-edge educational playground where they can develop their technological and creative talents.

The learner can handle the following when they complete the veterinary curriculum:

  • Knowledge of practical nursing techniques for veterinary technology.
  • Applications of mathematics in veterinary medicine.
  • Applications of animal science to veterinary technology.
  • Veterinary technology expertise in microbiology and cytology.
  • Ideas on the veterinary technology regulatory environment.
  • Veterinary technology communication abilities in medicine.

The country’s only community college-based live-fire cyber warfare range is on campus, giving information technology students hands-on training in identifying and responding to genuine threats. The range offers a free and open environment to supplement Arizona’s cyber security resources, and it runs in collaboration with the Arizona Cyberwarfare Range.

Northwest Campus

The most up-to-date science labs for the Colleges are on the Northwest Campus, which also has high-tech classrooms and labs. Numerous STEM programs and career streams are also there. The Northwest Campus aspires to link campus and community via science and technology adventures by hosting yearly STEM activities.

Clinical research, therapeutic massage, and pharmacy short-term healthcare programs are all on campus.

Integrated student support services, such as student workplaces, advising, tutoring, library resources, clubs, recreational space, and a tech center, are in the middle of the campus.

Students can attend classes and take advantage of health and wellness programs thanks to cooperation with the YMCA at the campus’ northern edge.

West Campus

West Campus offers state-of-the-art theoretical possibilities in nursing, radiologic technology, and respiratory care and is home to the Center of Excellence for Health Professions.

The state-of-the-art dentistry clinic offers dental studies students the chance to gain practical experience using a patient-centered approach while collaborating with other students and local community members. Dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dental laboratory techs are among the occupations that students can train for.

The Digital Arts Program prepares students for jobs in digital photography, illustration, web design, film and video, graphic design, gaming, and simulation. The most recent technology delivers practical training to students.

The Fashion Design Certificate equips students with entry-level positions with clothing manufacturers, retailers, and other employers and begins their businesses. Drawing for fashion, creative design, and drafting are all available. An Associate of Applied Arts focusing on fashion design is an option for students.

How Many Students Enroll Per Year

The Pima Community College enrollment is around 30,396 students.

Admission Criteria for US Students 

On Pima’s schedule, several online courses use the school’s specific Pima Community College Online course platforms; virtual courses that employ various online teaching methods and other resources and hybrid courses that combine in-person and online education. 

Typically, hybrid courses include a lab or hands-on component. The purpose of this timetable was to provide children with a secure and rewarding learning environment during the COVID-19 crisis. All in-person sessions will follow the CDC’s, municipal, and state health and safety regulations.

Pima Community College registration for classes is quick and simple, regardless of whether you are a new or returning student. Accessing the Internet and your MyPima account is all you need to start.

Please contact Pima if you don’t yet have a MyPima account. You can apply online right now if you haven’t already started classes at Pima.

Find out what courses are available in the following semester by looking at the upcoming class schedules. You can consult an academic advisor if you have any issues with the prerequisites for your courses.

Connect U Orientation is necessary for first-year college students. All Pima students are welcome to attend this orientation, which provides thorough information on advising and registration procedures.

You can register online with MyPima following orientation. You can manage your student account, look for classes, check your grades, and make payments once you’re on MyPima. The dates and timing for walk-in registration vary by semester.

Changing Courses

Are you adding to, removing from, or dropping a class? There are guidelines and recommendations about what to do. Remember that you cannot add a course after the deadline.

Check the MyPima class schedule section under the Academics page for more details on dropping or withdrawing from a class.

Cancellation of Classes

Before the commencement of the semester, you may cancel courses with low enrollment. For precise cancellation dates, consult the calendar of important dates and deadlines. If they cancel a class you are in; you might get a notification through email to your MyPima account. If not, get assistance from the Student Services Center.

Admission Criteria for Foreign Students

Pima Community College registration for international students varies from case to case. It doesn’t have a one fits all procedure. Contact the college for further information.

Educational Opportunities (Which Programs They Offer)

Whether you want to start a career, want to update your abilities in your current job, or are intending to transfer to a university to finish your bachelor’s degree, Arizona Community Colleges degrees and certificates will prepare you for a satisfying career.

Not sure where to begin your career exploration? Utilize the tools at Pima to discover and develop an understanding of your interests, skills, values, personality, and other elements that can assist you in selecting a major and setting professional objectives. The programs include:

  • Arts, humanities, and communication
  • Business, information systems, and hospitality
  • Education
  • Health Sciences
  • Industry, manufacturing, and Construction
  • Public safety
  • Social, behavioral sciences, and human services

Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology

You will learn about various subjects and receive practical experience as a clinical vet technician in Pima’s fully accredited Veterinary Technician training program.

After the course, you will be able to sit for the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) and get a license as a veterinary technician for veterinarians, individuals engaging in biological research, scientists, and companies or organizations that offer animal care.

The VT training program is a conditional enrollment program; therefore, you won’t be able to enroll in VET classes until you meet all of the criteria on the Program Admission page and the Department approves.

The training course for veterinary technicians qualifies for Title IV Financial Aid.

Other Educational Opportunities 

STEM 

The STEM fields of science, engineering, technology, and math are what the United States needs most.

According to Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce, STEM graduates typically earn around $37,000 more at the entry-level than those with other bachelor’s degrees, reflecting the necessity for their skills.

Numerous STEM programs are available at Pima. An Associate Degree leading to a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Chemistry, or another science is a wise place to start if you want to show the movement to create a better society.

Pima offers certificates and degrees that concentrate on the crucial behind-the-scenes work if you want to work with scientists to create a better world. Additionally, there is a pre-Engineering degree if you wish to construct stuff.

What Else do They Offer Other Than Education

Academic Assistance

Pima offers a wide range of academic support, including coaching for challenging areas and advice for conducting research.

Library

Check out the library for various online resources, including encyclopedias, articles, and research manuals. The staff of the library will assist you in locating materials for research assignments, APA formatting, and even leisure reading or personal enrichment.

Tutoring

The college offers free tutoring in math, science, reading, writing, and other subjects. Additionally, a variety of internet tools for tutoring are available at any time of day or night.

Testing Facilities

In addition to other services, the Testing Centers offer convenient testing options for academic assessments, such as proctored exams and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests.

Opportunities for Learning to Prepare for College

The institution provides courses geared toward preparing students for college in arithmetic, reading, and digital literacy. The summer months are when these possibilities are most prevalent.

More Services for Students

The website’s Student Resources section includes various additional services for students, including health, computing, and bookstores.

Departments / Centers / Institutes

The Automotive Technology and Innovation Center, housed at Pima’s growing Downtown Campus at Speedway and Stone, is part of the Center of Excellence in Applied Technology, open since May 2021, and welcomes students in the summer. 

The two-story Center will allow instructors to expand brand-specific training and introduce diesel, electric, and autonomous vehicles programs. The quality of this facility is among the best in the country.

The programs for Automated Industrial Technology (AIT), Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Machining (MAC), and Welding (WLD) will be in the Advanced Manufacturing facility, which is now under construction. Building & Construction Technology (BCT) programs will be able to grow thanks to renovations to the ST building next door.

The Centers will increase educational possibilities for students and support regional economic development.

Excellence Center for Applied Technology

Pima County Community College’s new automotive Center of Excellence in architectural rendering is at Pima’s growing Downtown Campus at Speedway and Stone. 

Center for Aviation Technology

The Aviation Technology Center is a part of the Center of Excellence in Applied Technology and is in a hangar at Tucson International Airport.

The only aviation repair and maintenance training program in Arizona that offers practical experience on both commercial and regional jets is by Pima Community College. Employers have a high demand for the program’s graduates due to its reputation for excellence at the national level. 

This growth will increase the number of new graduates by half each year, filling positions that may otherwise go unfilled, paying an average salary of around $52,000 a year, and bringing in payroll cash for the entire state’s economy.

Excellence Center for Health Professions

Pima’s West Campus is home to the Center of Excellence in Health Professions, which offers cutting-edge instruction in various healthcare disciplines, including nursing, surgical technology, respiratory care, medical laboratory technology, dental studies, and more.

The Center of Excellence groups these integrative programs into a single unit that supports the various professional tracks the students can choose from. A funding source is available for constructing a high-tech area resembling a hospital.

Students already gain from technology, such as iPads, which enhance video and reality to broaden learning and comprehension. Before transitioning to providing clinical care for actual patients, trainees can learn and hone skills using simulation mannequins in a secure and encouraging atmosphere.

The programs work toward the following future:

  • Prepares future medical professionals to work in a world where technology and medical devices, including implanted devices, are continually monitoring and measuring chronic illness.
  • Increases knowledge of how technology affects activities of daily living, such as exercise, health education, symptom tracking, and disease management.
  • Prepare future health professionals to assist patients using mobile, wireless, telemedicine, and smartphone applications by acting as a liaison and coaching.
  • Prepares future medical professionals to work in a telehealth and telemedicine environment.

Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity and Information Technology

This fast-expanding program is at the East Campus and is around the Arizona Cyber Warfare Range, the only “live-fire” cyber range at a community college.

The Range is a unique chance and collaboration. It offers a secure environment where IT experts, community members, and students can safely experiment with “live fire” cyberattacks and defenses. Students and community volunteers run it. 

Within the Arizona Cyber Warfare Range and the CoE, students, community members, and businesses have the chance to test, monitor, and strengthen the security of all kinds of technology and IoT devices. This produces a disruptive learning environment that augments conventional educational methods and is limitless to virtual simulations. 

With Arizona’s Association for Career Technical Education, K–12 students, the general public, and businesses routinely host educational and participative events.

Additionally, Pima wants to radically alter IT education and offer real-world opportunities for interaction with the community and the workforce. The Center establishes this link in four key areas:

  • Student-Run Datacenter: The datacenter gives students access to a business-oriented IT environment that uses a variety of suppliers, systems, and technologies. To provide students with practical IT skills, this data center, like most others nowadays, extends beyond our physical site into Google Cloud services.
  • Cybersecurity Operations Center (CSOC) for Students: The CSOC for Students offers a space where students can assess, monitor, and submit real-time response information to threat feeds. Additionally, Pima is receiving global threat intelligence from sources and partners worldwide through the AZCWR, an Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO). Due to this combination, the Pima CSOC is a reliable and proactive threat response resource.
  • Fusion Space is an active learning space that hosts a range of activities from Capture the Flag competitions, cross-disciplinary education, and vendor and community engagement to brief seminars on several themes.

Center of Excellence for Security and Public Safety

This center offers emergency medical services, transportation and logistics, law enforcement, and the administration of justice.

Pima’s collaboration with the U.S. Air Force to offer Medical Readiness Agency (AFMRA) training for airmen to become nationally credentialed paramedics in a fas program is popular nationwide.

A relationship with TuSimple is another thing attracting attention nationally. The first qualification in the nation for upskilling truck drivers in autonomous truck operations was a joint development with Pima, the Autonomous Vehicle Driver and Operations Specialist Certificate.

The bulk of the first responders in Pima County also train at Pima Community College, thanks to collaborations with two law enforcement organizations, twelve fire departments or districts, six hospitals, and one ambulance service.

Center of Excellence for Tourism and Hospitality

Pima’s Center of Excellence collaborates with business partners to prepare students for the opportunities and difficulties of the modern world. In addition, it aims to help Tucson’s significant hospitality and tourism industry.

Pima’s students are well-equipped to manage a wide range of duties and are in demand by area employers because they combine classroom work with practical experiences.

Three commercial kitchens, a repurposed grill, a new restaurant and lounge that is available to the public, and learning labs for hotel suites are among the state-of-the-art facilities that the program is building with the help of its first Title V grant, “Pathways to Hospitality,” worth $2.7 million.

The Demonstration Kitchen and Amphitheater, with cutting-edge teaching technology using mobile, cloud, and IOT for virtual, online, and learning, will be a centerpiece of the center. The area will allow for holding projects and activities for the community and business.

Center for the Humanities and the Arts

The Arts and Humanities program at Pima Community College trains communicators and creative and critical thinkers for demanding jobs in various professions.

Pima’s art students benefit from classroom and practical experiences thanks to the school’s magnificent performance and exhibition spaces.

Arts organizations encourage economic growth and business. Nearly 3 million individuals get employment from the creative industries across the US, which account for 4% of all enterprises. The nation’s economy receives an estimated $60 billion in annual contributions from non-profit arts and culture organizations alone.

Additionally, studies indicate that cities with a strong emphasis on the arts have higher levels of civic and social involvement, greater child welfare, and even lower poverty rates.

Young students with books

The Best Things to do in Tucson, Arizona

Historic Bike Tour in Tucson

On two wheels, discover this bike-friendly city without needing to provide your riding supplies. This small-group historical Tucson bike tour includes a helmet, bike, and guide, so you can explore the city at your own pace while learning about Tucson’s history and culture. 

Additionally, this tour crosses Rattlesnake Bridge, one of Tucson’s most well-known landmarks.

Lemmon Half Day Rock Climbing or Canyoneering in Arizona

Half Day Canyoning and Half Day Rock Climbing Trips are fantastic ways to spice up your vacation. Learn how to rock climb, descend a waterfall by rappelling, or test your experience. 

The excursions last 4 to 5 hours, are conveniently located near Tucson and include top-notch equipment in good working order. After each usage and before storage, there’s checking equipment for safety. 

Morning Hot Air Balloon Flight Over Tucson

Enjoy the stunning Sonoran Desert of Arizona like never before. The three views and tranquility of flight while floating above the desert in a hot air balloon are amazing. The perfect way to kickstart the day is with slightly chilled champagne and a continental breakfast in the middle of the desert after your 45 to 60-minute hot air balloon journey.

Oasis Tour of Tucson

Find out more about Tucson’s Mount Lemmon, the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains and a feature of the Coronado National Forest. Using binoculars, stop along the way up the mountain to enjoy the beautiful views of the surroundings.

The Saguaro Adventurer Scavenger Hunt

These unusual activities change from classic scavenger hunts and help travelers quickly get to know a new city. They provide opportunities for engaging in entertaining conversation with people, experimenting with the surroundings, and acting as detectives in search of local artwork and intriguing lore. 

Every game turns out to look a little bit different, so the magic is in the energy and individuality you bring to the table. It’s an opportunity to have a lighter and more enjoyable conversation with your team members, take lots of amusing pictures and videos, and have fun. The game is for players of all ages that appreciate creativity and exploration. 

Children thrive on a team led by an adult. You create this game with your interactive host, who is customizing and reacting as you play. Get more information and facts from your host, on WhatsApp, for specific, accurate responses.

Students in university

Final Thoughts

In Arizona’s Pima County and beyond, companies and students get learning services from the comprehensive two-year Pima Community College Programs. Everyone working toward a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities is welcome here.

Students can choose from a wide variety of high-quality programs that will provide them with the knowledge and abilities companies require today and help them transition smoothly into four-year programs. Students gain from Pima’s lower tuition expenses and excel after transferring to the highest levels.

Pima College Tucson, AZ, is quickly becoming a high-tech university that will meet the needs of the area’s expanding aerospace, defense, and healthcare sectors. Pima is concentrating on strengthening partnerships and expanding employer engagement to ensure that today’s students are well-prepared for many years. 

Pima is developing Centers for Excellence in essential areas such as Applied Technology, Information Technology, and Health Professions.

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