College of DuPage provides a tremendous opportunity to start your career or education. Choose from more than 90 programs of study offered in a friendly, supportive and affordable environment.
Earn the first two years of a four-year college degree, resulting in an Associate in Arts (A.A.) or Associate in Science (A.S.) degree. If you are passionate about art or music, consider the Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A.) with a speciality in one of those two areas. If you want to teach math, consider the Associate in Arts in Teaching Secondary Mathematics. Or, select one of our two-year Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) programs that prepare you for a high-skills career.
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C.O.D. also offers technical and professional training to help you brush up on job skills or prepare for a career transition. Continuing education classes are perfect for personal development and enrichment, whether it's for adults, youths or older adults. And, C.O.D. provide developmental courses in ESL, GED and citizenship.
So explore our programs. Check out the links on the left for Academic Alternatives and programs of special interest, like Honors and Study Abroad. Then make the Smart Move to College of DuPage.
Our Programs
Accounting and Auditing
Accounting positions are found in many types of organizations preparing financial statements, balance sheets and tax returns. Most accounting positions beyond the entry-level clerical jobs require a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field. The Advanced Accounting Certificate prepares bachelor's degree graduates with the accounting courses required to qualify to take the Illinois CPA Exam.
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Accounting and Financial Services
Biological/Life Sciences/Pre-Medical Sciences
Train to be a lab technician in the market of biotechnology. Earn an Associate in Science degree, which provides the first two years of study toward a bachelor's degree. Agreements help students transfer seamlessly to baccalaureate-granting institutions.
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Biological/Life Sciences/Pre-Medical Sciences
Computer Careers
Employment opportunities are numerous and varied – applications specialist, microcomputer service technician, help desk specialist, computer operator, computer security specialist, network specialist, database specialist with organizations such as telephone companies, television stations, schools and colleges, Internet providers and professional offices. Some occupations require a bachelor's degree; others may require industry certifications or specialized certificates.
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Computers and
Computer Technologies
Design Careers
Design fields are as diverse as the career opportunities available. Many design fields can lead to careers as consultants, independent designers or business ownership. Students can immediately enter the workforce or transfer to baccalaureate-granting institutions for continued studies leading to professional licenses.
More information about Design Careers:
Architecture
Cosmetology
Interior Design
Fashion
Horticulture
Early Childhood Education and Care
Careers are available working with children and families in preschools, child care centers, family child care homes, Head Start programs, recreation and religious programs, and public schools as teacher aides.
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Early Childhood Education and Care
Earth, Space and Atmospheric Sciences
Earn an Associate in Science degree, which provides the first two years of study toward a bachelor's degree. Agreements help students transfer seamlessly to baccalaureate-granting institutions.
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Earth Science program
Engineering and Engineering Technologies
In DuPage County, welding ranks high on the list of the 30 fastest-growing occupations. Electronics fields are requiring more qualified employees than ever before. Engineering technologists are in high demand. Enter the workforce or transfer to a baccalaureate-granting institution. Several agreements make transferring seamless.
More information about Engineering and Engineering Technologies:
Engineering
Engineering Technology
Manufacturing
Electro-Mechanical Technology
Electronics
IET
Welding
English/Journalism and Mass Communication
English majors are employed in a wide array of careers that require proficiency in written and spoken English. Specialized skills in writing, speaking and designing for the mass media help journalism and communication students find employment in the print and electronic job markets. The Associate in Art degree provides the first two years of study toward a bachelor's degree. Transfer to a baccalaureate-granting institution to pursue a major in the following areas:
English
Journalism and Mass Communication
Fine Arts
Study art, ceramics, sculpture, painting and jewelry in state-of-the-art labs in the McAninch Arts Center. Earn a degree and transfer to a baccalaureate-granting institution.
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Art
Fire Science/EMT/Paramedic
Gain employment at a fire department or in positions in industrial safety, fire prevention, insurance investigation, fire investigation, hazardous materials and public education. EMTs and paramedics work for fire departments, ambulance services and hospital emergency units. Agreements with several baccalaureate-granting institutions make transferring seamless.
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Fire Science
Graphic Design and Graphic Arts
Growing fields allow you to earn a degree or certificate and enter the workplace. Several articulation agreements allow for smooth transfer to baccalaureate-granting colleges or universities.
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Graphic Arts
Graphic Design
Health Sciences
Careers in health are growing and changing. Many opportunities are available in a wide variety of areas. At college of DuPage, more than 25 health programs are offered, including nursing, radiography, physical therapist assistant, speech language pathology, nuclear medicine, clinical lab science, dental hygiene and medical transcription.
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Health Sciences programs
Hospitality and Tourism
Work for hotels, restaurants, private clubs, convention centers or cruise lines. Imagine a career as a front-line manager, supervising a health club or a front desk. Or gain employment with travel agencies, online travel agencies, home-based travel agencies, airlines, tour companies and cruise lines to assist clients with planning and making leisure and corporate travel reservations.
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Hospitality/Foodservice/Hotel and Motel Management
Travel and Tourism
Human Services
Human Services professionals work in the fields of addictions, applied gerontology, corrections, developmental disabilities, domestic/family violence, psychiatric rehabilitation and residential child care. Students receive the training and coursework necessary to pursue entry-level positions in the field of Human Services and be able to matriculate to baccalaureate-granting institutions for advanced placement and further training.
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Humanities
Courses are particularly useful for students who intend to work in government, education, legal and social fields, business and human services fields. Graduates earn an Associate in Arts degree and transfer to baccalaureate-granting institutions.
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History
Humanities
Philosophy/Religious Studies
Industrial and Service Technologies
Construction Management certificates and degrees prepare students for entry-level positions in construction management and construction firms. Automotive technician training can lead to a variety of career paths in the automotive field, such as service writer and parts personnel. Employment opportunities abound for qualified HVAC technicians to install and maintain the equipment that establishes the environment in homes and businesses.
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Architecture
Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Automotive Service Technology
Languages
As the interdependence of nations grows, people with language skills have distinct job market advantages. Study abroad programs offer an additional opportunity to enrich the study of language and culture. Graduates earn an Associate in Arts degree and transfer to baccalaureate-granting institutions.
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Languages
Legal Studies
Prepare for careers in state, county and local law enforcement; entry-level corrections and private security positions; and assisting lawyers in civil and criminal trials and hearings, real estate closings, investigations, and corporate matters.
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Criminal Justice
Paralegal Studies
Management, Marketing and Sales
Employees in management and sales are needed at every level, in most industries and with varying degrees of skill and experience. This diversity allows for opportunities in such areas as supervision, foremen, production managers, store managers, facility managers, buyers, salespersons, customer service and account representatives in a variety of different areas.
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Business/Management/Marketing
Facility Management
Real Estate
Hotel and Lodging
Mathematics
Mathematics is needed for nearly every type of career, from nursing to teaching to fashion design. A mathematics background provides critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential to jobs in aviation, electronics and stock market investing.
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Mathematics
Motion Picture/Television
From camera operators to animators, writers to editors, directors to audio technicians, freelance producers to production team members, students with the expertise the program offers find fulfilling employment at the entry level of the business of media creation.
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Motion Picture/Television
Office Support and Management
As a trained paraprofessional, the LTA assists the librarian in a variety of areas, including circulation, reference, technical processing and audio-visual services. Administrative assistants use a wide-range of computer, supervisory and communication skills to enhance management operations in every organization.
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Office Technology Information
Library and Information Technology
Performing Arts
Study music and theater in the state-of-the-art McAninch Arts Center. Student music and theater groups provide abundant opportunities for hands-on learning. Earn a degree and transfer to a baccalaureate-granting institution.
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Music
Theater
Photography
Graduates find employment opportunities in many entry-level jobs in the photographic industry, including portraiture, photojournalism, lab processing specialists, studio photographers, photographer's assistants and freelance photographers.
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Photography
Physical Education Health and Wellness
A wide variety of careers includes teaching, coaching, training, sports and recreation management, and research through the field of kinesiology. Earn an Associate in Science degree and transfer to a baccalaureate-granting institution.
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Physical Education
Physical Sciences
Chemists work in the pharmaceutical, paper, oil, biotechnology and consumer product industries. Physicists perform applied research in hospitals and clinics, and in educational and federal institutions doing fundamental research. Earn an Associate in Science and transfer to baccalaureate-granting institutions.
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Chemistry
Physics
Psychology
Psychologists are employed in many different settings, including business, marketing, nursing, human services, industry, hospitals, clinics, social service agencies, research, educational institutions, government agencies and private practice.
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Psychology
Social Sciences
Social science graduates rely on their skills and ingenuity to succeed in business, politics and communication. And careers have never been hotter. For example, the need for market research firms continues to grow, with clients ranging from government agencies to corporate employers. Research and analytical skills gained through the social sciences enhance your chance in the workplace.
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Anthropology
Criminal Justice
Economics
Geography
Political Science
Sociology
Speech Communication
From disc jockey to college administrator, from youth counselor to campaign director, from television personality to real estate developer, careers in speech are as diverse as the people who make up our culture.
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Speech Communication
Teacher Preparation
Students who successfully complete a degree at College of DuPage transfer to a state-approved teacher education program in which they complete the education requirements for Illinois teacher certification.
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Teacher Preparation