Academic Catalogs

President's Message

President Tim McGrath photo

On behalf of our entire faculty, staff, students, and administration, welcome to the Golden West College (GWC) family! 

Since 1966, GWC has served as a gateway to high quality education in California. Garnering a reputation of excellence, GWC ranked first among all California Community Colleges in awarding the highest number of degrees and certificates in 2018-2019, received recognitions for its excellence in transfers, and honored as the Best of Huntington Beach for three consecutive years. The prestige of Golden West Athletics matches the school’s academic reputation as one of the finest programs in California with 89 State Championships.

As a multicultural and academic multinational institution, GWC is a qualifying Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American Native American and Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), serving over 18,000 students representing 36 countries.

GWC offers over 90 academic and career programs to help you reach your goals whether it’s to transfer to a four-year institution, earn a degree or certificate, enter the workforce, or enhance your skills to become more marketable in your current or future career. Current high school students can enroll in college courses while receiving both high school and college credit through our Dual Enrollment program. Our newly expanded Noncredit program now offers English Language Learner (ELL) courses, General Educational Development (GED) certificate, and Citizenship Test Preparation courses for individuals seeking to enhance their basic or employable skills.

The entire GWC faculty, administration, and staff are eager to meet you to guide you through your educational journey and hope this catalog serves as a road map to help you reach your goals.

We are truly honored you chose Golden West College.

Tim McGrath
President, Golden West College