Kish College Foundation receives 3M grant for Nursing Textbook Initiative
The Kishwaukee College Foundation received a $5,000 grant from the 3M Site Hometown Donation program in support of the Foundation’s Nursing Textbook Initiative.
The application period for Spring 2026 Kishwaukee College Foundation scholarships is now open. Apply now or learn more.
The Kishwaukee College Engineering, Math & Science Academy (EMSA) gives high school students a jump start on their college career by providing college-level courses during their junior or senior year of high school.
EMSA provides talented and motivated high school students who are interested in pursuing an engineering or professional degree the opportunity to get a head start on college. They will take Kishwaukee College engineering or pre-professional classes at our college campus during their junior or senior year. Following their high school graduation, these courses can be transferred to a four-year institution, or the student can remain at Kishwaukee College to complete their associate degree before transferring. We work closely with both Northern Illinois University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to ensure a seamless transfer for students into their chosen undergraduate programs.
EMSA offers three unique tracks tailored towards students’ interests, aspirations, and intended college majors. Students have the opportunity to select their track upon application.
The Pre-Professional track is aimed towards students interested in all science-based majors, including pre-medical, pre-veterinary, pre-pharmacy, physical therapy and various other majors and careers in science.
The Engineering track is our original track and is aimed towards students interested in pursuing majors and careers in engineering and physics fields.
The Pre-Nursing track is geared toward students interested in pursuing a career in nursing, especially those interested in starting their education at Kishwaukee College before transferring to complete a four-year nursing degree.
All EMSA students will take Calculus I during the summer session (typically between junior and senior years).
Engineering TrackAny current high school sophomore or junior may apply for admission to EMSA if they have taken one year of chemistry and pre-calculus (trigonometry) with a grade of “B” or better in these courses. Students who are currently enrolled in chemistry and pre-calculus at their high school are strongly encouraged to apply to EMSA, and their grades will be reviewed upon completion of these high school courses.
The student must complete high school chemistry and pre-calculus with a grade of “B” or better in each semester. There is no minimum GPA requirement for this program. However, the EMSA program is a limited admission program. Our goal is to have a broad representation of students from all district high schools, and diversity across our district will be a factor in the admission process. A student Statement of Interest and a letter of recommendation from a high school counselor will also be considered as part of the program admission process. In the event of equally qualified candidates, the completed application with the earlier submittal date (including all required evaluation letters and forms) will be given preference.
Kishwaukee College works closely with the principals and counselors from district high schools who are aware of the value of the program to their students. They have received several communications regarding the EMSA program and should be able to answer general questions about how EMSA relates to the high school curriculum/schedule.
Students accepted into the EMSA program begin by taking a summer session Calculus I class, typically between their junior and senior years. The summer session will begin in mid-June and continue through early August. The fall semester begins in August and ends in mid-December. The spring semester begins in mid-January and ends in mid-May.
Simply submit the required application forms, which can be obtained in several ways:
Applications will be accepted at any time following the Information Session meeting in November and will continue to be accepted until March 1. However, because this is a popular program and has limited enrollment, students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
There is a significant difference between a Dual Enrollment course and a Dual Credit course. A Dual Enrollment class offers the student college-level credit only and will not satisfy a high school requirement. Dual enrollment courses do not require the college to submit a transcript to the home high school. Therefore, the grade in the EMSA course will not be factored into the student’s high school GPA.
A Dual Credit class provides the student with credit for both college-level and high school-level courses. Students interested in taking an EMSA course for Dual Credit must receive written permission of the Dual Credit option, in advance, from their high school guidance counselor. Selecting the Dual Credit option for a class held on the Kishwaukee College campus requires the college to submit the student’s college transcript to the high school following each semester so that the credit can be verified and the course grade can be recorded for GPA calculations (if required). It is up to the individual high school to determine if any of the Kishwaukee College courses taken by the student are eligible for dual credit. Students will need to verify that the university they apply to will accept dual credit coursework; some universities do not consider dual credit courses as college-level courses for transfer credit.
Students who complete the Engineering track will earn 23 semester hours of transferable credit. Students who complete the Pre-Professional track will earn 18 semester hours of transferable credit. And students who complete the Pre-Nursing track may earn up to 29 semester hours of transferable credit. The total college credits earned in EMSA may vary for students who complete AP or dual credit coursework.
A student who is currently enrolled in, or has taken, Advanced Placement Calculus is still eligible for the EMSA program and may take the AP exam in place of registering for the summer Calculus I class and begin the EMSA coursework in the fall semester.
Because AP Calculus scores are typically not received until mid-July, students will be required to enroll in Calculus I starting in June and actively participate in the course. Upon receiving their AP scores, students with a passing score of 4 or 5 on part AB may opt to drop MAT 229 with a full refund.
This policy aims to ensure students enrolled in the EMSA program will complete the proper sequence in the case of an unsatisfactory score on the AP Calculus exam. Note: EMSA students who receive a 4 or 5 on the exam are highly encouraged to complete MAT 229 to better hone their Calculus in anticipation of the rigor of EMSA and future Engineering coursework.
Because EMSA is officially a dual enrollment program (see above), students are responsible for all tuition, fees and textbook costs associated with the program. The cost of the program depends on the current tuition rate and the selected courses within the EMSA program but will be approximately:
This cost difference is due primarily to the different textbook requirements for each track. Estimated Cost of EMSA Program
The Kishwaukee College Foundation received a $5,000 grant from the 3M Site Hometown Donation program in support of the Foundation’s Nursing Textbook Initiative.
Members of the Amboy High School Class of 2014 supported the Kishwaukee College Foundation's Mathew J. Rood Diesel Power Technology Scholarship after collecting donations at their class reunion. The class recently donated the proceeds to Courtney Walz of the Kishwaukee College Foundation at Amboy Depot Days.