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College Preparatory Center
Found in: Schools in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco's College Preparatory Center (CPC) is where College Preparatory Program takes place. Successful completion of this program is a pre-requisite to entering the College Degree Program for Non Employees (CDPNE), a highly selective program run by the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Saudi Aramco (established in 1985). CPP is an 11-months program of study at the CPC (near Industrial Training Center in Dhahran), after which students move on to universities to finish their education under the CDPNE program.
- In 20032004, the admission rate was 1.20%, 148 admitted from a pool of 12,300 qualified applicants. Admitted students receive a salary of SR 2500 ($666) for their attendance. Each student is assigned to a Saudi Aramco department related to his concentration of study.
Students at CPC are divided into three tracks according to their Math and English placement test:
1- CH: High level in both Math and English.
2- CR: High level in English and Regular level in Math.
3- BR: Regular level in both Math and English.
In 2007-2008, a new track has been introduced, CH-ES (Early Startup). Students chosen for this track start the CPP earlier than regular admitted students because of their high standards in the highschool Transcript, Qiyas score, and the CPP placement test (Math and English). They have more advantages in choosing the major and the placement for universities. 36 males and 4 females were chosen in 2007 among the admitted students (255 students).
The year in CPC is divided into three trimesters in which students take different subjects according to their level and major. All students take ESL courses, research courses, computer & internet skills courses and library skills courses. All the students also take AP preparation courses. Engineering majors student take AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Physics B, AP Physics C depending on their level and major. Students with other majors, such as Business and Computer Science majors, take AP Statistics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Computer Science.
The CPC is divided into departments, headed by the Principal (Mr. Mazin Horsler) and
Assistant Principal (Mr. Mahmoud Al-Basha) as follows :
Chemistry & Geology Department ,
Computer Science Department ,
General Studies & English Department ,
Physics Department ,
Mathematics Department ,
Business Studies Department. ,
Personal Fitness & Sports (PE) Department. ,
there is a famous motto at CPC(CPP ANY BODY CAN)
- The graduation requirements for CPC are as follows:
1- a TOEFL score of 530 (71 iBT" Internet-Based Test") or higher, or an IELTS score of 5.5 or higher.
2- a CGPA (Cumulative grade point average) of 2.5/4 or higher.
3- a GPA of 2.5/4 or higher in the three trimesters.
4- 10 hours of community service.
5- a grade of 75 or higher in Qiyas assessment test must be scored in order for a student to be admitted to the program.
6- a school GPA of at least 90% (3.60 / 4 ) must be scored by the student in order to be admitted to the program
7- a score of 3/5 in the Advanced Placement Test in at least one subject area is a requirement.
- All students who pass their first year in CPC are granted a full scholarship to an overseas university, mostly in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Turkey, Netherlands and Australia with all expenses covered. Each scholar is given the opportunity to continue graduate studies up to the PhD degree, while receiving a full-time salary after working at least 5 years in the company.
Students are allocated degree paths upon acceptance. There are around 23-degree paths for students to choose from. Most of these degrees relate to Engineering and Geosciences. These paths are:
Supply Chain Management
Petroleum Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Metallurgical Engineering
Material Science & Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Electronics Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Environmental Sciences
Aeronautical Engineering
Fire Protection Engineering
Hydrographic Surveying Engineering
Safety Engineering
Software Engineering
Systems Engineering
Computer Engineering
Computer Science
Geology
Geophysics
Geomatics Engineering
Nautical Science
Naval Architect & Engineering
Chemistry
Industrial Chemistry
Accounting
Business Administration
Criminal Justice
Finance
Human Resource Development
Human Resource Management
Industrial Psychology
Journalism
Management Information Systems
Marketing
Public Relations
Most of the staff who work in the CPC are from English speaking countries. The style of education instruction mimics most American universities (schools) in the United States.
The program was exclusive for Saudi male students until Saudi Aramco announced it will give scholarships to female students during Summer-2006. For the Academic Year 20062007 251 males and 56 females were accepted in the program.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article College Preparatory Center