Dual Credit

Dual Credit with Tyler Junior College

Dual credit lets students earn high school and Tyler Junior College (TJC) credit at the same time. Students can start as early as the spring of 9th grade and take one class at a time or work toward a potential Associate of Arts degree (60-62 college hours) by graduation. Course choices are planned one-on-one with each student.

Dual Credit Courses Aligned with Cumberland Courses (2026-2027)

• Creative Arts (no TSI needed, 9th graders can take): ARTS 1301 Art Appreciation, DANC 2303 Dance Appreciation, DRAM 1310 Theatre Appreciation, MUSI 1306 Music Appreciation. Offered fall and spring.

• English III: ENGL 1301 Composition I (fall) and ENGL 1302 Composition II (spring).

• English IV: ENGL 2332 World Literature I (fall) and ENGL 2328 American Literature I (fall or spring).

• More English: ENGL 2311 Technical Writing (spring) and SPCH 1315 Public Speaking (fall or spring).

• College Success: EDUC 1300 Learning Framework (fall or spring).

• Math: MATH 1314 College Algebra (fall) and MATH 1342 Elementary Statistics (spring) through DC Precalculus. MATH 2412 Precalculus (fall) and MATH 2413 Calculus I (spring) through Advanced Independent Study.

• Science: BIOL 1408 (fall) and BIOL 1409 (spring), Biology for Non-Science Majors, through Advanced Science.

• U.S. History: HIST 1301 U.S. History I (fall) and HIST 1302 U.S. History II (spring).

• Government: GOVT 2305 Federal Government (fall) and GOVT 2306 Texas Government (spring).

• Social Sciences: PSYC 2301 General Psychology (fall) and SOCI 1301 Introductory Sociology (spring).

What does a student need to qualify?

• Courses with no TSI needed: the four Creative Arts appreciation courses (Art, Dance, Theatre, Music).

• Reading and Writing (ELAR) section: English, Public Speaking, Learning Framework, U.S. History, Government, Psychology, Sociology, and Biology.

• Math section: College Algebra, Elementary Statistics, Precalculus, and Calculus I.

• College-ready Math score: 950 or higher, or below 950 with a Diagnostic Level 6.

• College-ready ELAR score: 945 or higher with an essay score of 5-8, or below 945 with a Diagnostic Level 5-6 and an essay score of 5-8.

• What if I fail the test? Technically, there is no "pass" or "fail." You either meet standard or you don't meet standard. For dual credit, you must retest until you meet the scores above.

• How long does the TSI take? The TSI is untimed, but the average time to finish is about 3 hours.

• Some students may qualify with other approved test scores (like the SAT or ACT).   Ask Mrs. Campbell if you are not sure.

• We offer the TSI on campus every September and March. The last session was September 25, 2026. Next session: March 24, 2027.

Program Expectations

• When can students join?  Students can start dual credit as early as the spring semester of 9th grade. They must fulfill the admissions requirements before the semester they plan to start.

• Do I have to take the U.S. History STAAR exam?  Yes. If you are taking HIST 1302 U.S. History II through TJC, you are still expected to take and pass the U.S. History STAAR exam as a graduation requirement. This exam is taken in the spring semester.

• Students may take up to 2 dual credit courses their first semester, and up to 3 in later semesters after showing success.

• Students must pass their dual credit courses to stay in the program.

• Every dual credit grade goes on the student's permanent TJC college transcript.

• Families cover tuition, fees, and course materials. 

• The state FAST program may cover these costs for eligible students (contact TJC billing).

• TJC and Cumberland calendars are different, so watch both for start dates, holidays, drop dates, and finals.

The Texas College Core

What is the college core? Every student who earns a college degree at a Texas public college or university must complete core credits. Core credits, also known as "basics" or "gen eds," are classes everyone must complete to earn a college degree. They include familiar subjects like English, math, science, and history. All Texas public colleges and universities follow the same core curriculum for subject areas and the number of classes required in each, but each school decides which specific classes count for each subject area.

Why complete the core at TJC? 

If you complete the core before transferring to your next Texas public university, that university is required to mark you as "core complete." This means that even if they wouldn't normally accept some of your classes for their core, they have to accept them all. If your goal is to get as much of your degree done as possible, try to complete the core before graduating from Cumberland!

How can I complete the core?

• Take as many dual credit core classes as you can. See the course list above and the TJC Core Curriculum: https://catalog.tjc.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=15&poid=2760 

• Fill in the rest of your credits with AP or CLEP exam scores, and be sure to send your scores to TJC.

• The Texas Common Course Numbering System (https://www.tccns.org/ ) lets you search how courses transfer between Texas colleges and universities.

How to Get Started

• Step 1: Apply through TJC and complete every Dual Credit Registration Step.

• Step 2: Watch for your TJC acceptance email.

• Step 3: Meet with Mrs. Campbell to choose courses using our alignment.

• Step 4: Register for your courses with TJC and with CAHS.

• Questions? Email Mrs. Campbell at ccampbell@cumberlandacademy.com.