DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM WITH 

IMMACULATA UNIVERISTY

Dual Enrollment 1 (902)

Dual Enrollment 2 (909)

Dual Enrollment 3 (903)

Dual Enrollment 4 (911)

Dual Enrollment World Religions (904)

Grades 11, 12 

Credit 1.0 (per course)

AP Credit awarded

Beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, Villa Maria Academy High School began an articulation agreement with Immaculata University to offer dual enrollment college credits on Villa Maria’s campus. Taught by Immaculata faculty, students pay tuition of $375 per course, and through successful completion, have potential to obtain 3 college credits per course to accompany their high school level transcript. Course offerings could vary from year to year. All are one-semester courses.  Some courses are scheduled during our 1st block and will meet either on Mondays & Wednesdays or on Tuesdays & Thursdays; others will run on a single letter day during our school day. Interested students are encouraged to consult with their Counselor regarding the efficacy of these dual enrollment courses to the student’s plan of study. The grade earned by the student in the IU dual enrollment course is calculated in for her Villa Maria GPA and the student earns AP quality point weighting for these classes. Starting in the 2020-2021 school year, some of these dual enrollment courses became part of an academic exchange program with Devon Prep and Malvern Prep, in which their students will attend the dual enrollment courses on Villa Maria’s campus.

The following courses will be offered for the 2024-2025 school year:

• THE 314 - World Religions (Fall semester)

Denoted in PowerSchool as 904 Dual Enrollment World Religions

Prerequisite: A student wishing to register for Honors Theology 4 must have earned a grade of at least an 88% in her last two semesters of Theology, maintain an 88% through the end of Theology 3, and receive a recommendation from her current teacher. 

This semester course will explore the nature and philosophy of the worldviews that make up the various religious traditions, especially those of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam and Christianity. Students will examine the elements of each religion and the ways in which humans have experienced the sacred and how they attempt to answer the big questions of life. This rigorous course will help the student not only to understand the doctrine, history, and philosophical foundations of other religions but also provide her with another lens to examine Catholicism in the context of a pluralistic and ecumenical world. Having already completed a course in social justice, this course will help students to recognize the need for mutual understanding and respectful dialogue among members of the world’s major religions as vital to seeking and maintaining world peace. Students will have the option to take dual enrollment college credit for this course. Course approval required from current Theology teacher.  

This course will run 1st semester but will not be part of the exchange program with Devon Prep and Malvern Prep.  

• CIS 224 – Database and Information I (Fall semester)

Denoted in PowerSchool as 902 Dual Enrollment 1

Introduces the fundamentals of database, including: development life cycle, data modeling, SQL, architecture, and a survey of new developments. Hands-on projects give the student practical experience with these concepts. Course approval required from Ms. Henderson, Director of Curriculum & Instruction.  

This course will run 1st semester during 1st block on Mondays & Wednesdays and will be part of the exchange program with Devon Prep and Malvern Prep.  

• PSY 357 – Sport Psychology (Fall and/or Spring semester)   

Denoted in PowerSchool as 909 Dual Enrollment 2

Exploration of a wide variety of subject matter that focuses on enhancing athletic and training accomplishments. Emphasis is on the description of relevant psychological techniques that have proven to augment readiness and improve performance in exercise and sport settings. Course approval required from Ms. Henderson, Director of Curriculum & Instruction.  

This course will run 1st semester but will not be part of the exchange program with Devon Prep and Malvern Prep.  

• ACC 201 - Accounting & Budgeting (Spring semester)

Denoted in PowerSchool as 903 Dual Enrollment 3

An introduction to accounting information and the basic accounting cycle. Techniques of accounting for business transactions, preparation and interpretation of financial statements for internal control and external reporting and for use in making sound business decisions, forecasting and budgeting methods.

This course will run 2nd semester during 1st block on Tuesdays & Thursdays and will be part of the exchange program with Devon Prep and Malvern Prep. Course approval required from Ms. Henderson, Director of Curriculum & Instruction.  

• INFO 103 - Introduction to Data Analytics (Spring semester)

Denoted in PowerSchool as 911 Dual Enrollment 4

Introduces the fundamentals of data analysis. Students learn to gather and interpret data in order to gain insight into possible future trends and strategies. Research and case studies exemplify how data analytics is being used in business and industry. Course approval required from Ms. Henderson, Director of Curriculum & Instruction.  

This course will run 2nd semester during 1st block on Mondays & Wednesdays and will be part of the exchange program with Devon Prep and Malvern Prep.  

THE ST. TERESA OF ÁVILA SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Students in classes at the Honors level at Villa Maria generally take multiple Honors and Advanced Placement courses. However, for students who seek deeper academic challenge and the pursuit of learning at the highest academic level, Villa Maria’s St. Teresa of Ávila Scholars Program offers opportunities beyond the usual coursework.  

The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary trace their roots to the charism of St. Alphonsus Ligouri, the founder of the Redemptorist order of priests.  He was greatly influenced by the life and writings of St. Teresa of Ávila.1  Born in Spain in 1515, Teresa lived a “normal teenage life” but went on to become a prominent spiritual leader during the Counter-Reformation.  Her spirituality surrounding the importance of simple prayer was passed down through St. Alphonsus to the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.1  For her writings and teachings on the power of prayer, St. Teresa was declared a Doctor of the Church, one of only four women with this designation.  It is most appropriate for our most accomplished students to strive to aspire to all that St. Teresa of Ávila represented.

Sources:

1 Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM). (2023). Patrons. Retrieved from https://ihmimmaculata.org/ihm-spirituality/patrons/.

Catholic Online. (2023). St. Teresa of Avila. Retrieved from https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=208. 

Select students from the Class of 2028 are the last to be offered admission starting their freshman year to Villa Maria's St. Teresa of Ávila Scholars Program. Starting with admission of our Class of 2029, admission will solely be via application in February of one's freshman year, to start in sophomore year. 

To be admitted to the program, a student will need to demonstrate cognitive aptitude, intellectual curiosity, and a thirst for learning. Students pursuing this distinction will take coursework at the highest level of attainment, while simultaneously participating in Scholars’ seminar programming that provides authentic experiences and research. Students in the St. Teresa of Ávila Scholars Program are provided opportunities to showcase their interests in ways that demonstrates each individual’s unique story and passions. Each Scholar will declare a “focus” of either STEM, Humanities, or the Fine Arts and this determination will serve to guide the student’s course selection for her remaining years at Villa. Continuation in the St. Teresa of Ávila Scholars Program from one year to the next requires annual maintenance of a 3.8 cumulative GPA. Successful completion of this program will lead to the attainment of our St. Teresa of Ávila Scholars distinction at graduation.

872 Scholars Seminar 1: Introduction to Academic Research 

Grade 9 

Credit 0.5

VMA St. Teresa of Ávila Scholars Year 1 supports, supplements, and extends the skills taught in other 9th Grade courses. Through individual and collaborative inquiry, students will discover the contribution of multiple viewpoints, discern bias in various types of communication, recognize unreliable sources, and support opinions adequately and logically. The content and instruction of the course will aim to enhance and further develop the following skills: critical thinking and reading, scholarly research, effective and responsible collaboration, written and oral communication, and the formation of logical arguments. In addition, students will explore the factors which influence the formation of decisions and use inductive and deductive reasoning by studying a variety of sources drawn from literature, the media, and pop culture. The students will also discover the advantages and drawbacks of various forms of communication. Advanced research skills will be taught, skills not typically taught until junior year. A final collaborative activity will utilize a pro/con approach to explore a topic of interest to the participants. This team project will be presented as a scholarly research paper and also in a visual format in a visual format such as film.

874 Scholars Seminar 2: Investigating Interests 

Grade 10 

Credit 0.5

VMA St. Teresa of Ávila Scholars Year 2 supports, supplements, and extends the skills taught in other 10th Grade courses. To encourage personal curiosity and focus student interests for the greater communal good, students inventory their personal interests, understand how their own passions and talents can be used for the benefit of the larger community, and develop a plan to use their skills in a global context. As they ponder and plan for the completion of a personal project, second year Scholars students also continue to hone their critical thinking skills through a Socratic Seminar that focuses on defining the concepts of beauty and value. Students build upon the knowledge they gained about truth and bias in St. Teresa of Ávila Scholars Year 1 and add to it by defining beauty, goodness, and value after careful consideration of the works of ancient and modern philosophers. At the conclusion of St. Teresa of Ávila Scholars Year 2, students should be able to discuss philosophical concepts such as truth and beauty and apply their understanding by contributing to the welfare of others around them. Students will complete a large scale personal project that showcases their ability to plan, organize, and lead.