Monterey Peninsula College

In 2009, MPC established a Great Books program, one of only two such programs available in the California Community Colleges system.[2] The certificate can be completed through online study.[3] In 2013, the MPC entered into an articulation agreement with Chicago's Shimer College, allowing students who have completed the MPC Great Books certificate to continue their studies at Shimer.[4]

In 2010, the MPC English Department began offering a Certificate Program in Creative Writing. The program requires that five courses (3 credits each) be satisfactorily completed, either all 5 in Creative Writing disciplines or 4 in Creative Writing and 1 Literature course. Creative Writing courses include the multi-genre Introductory Creative Writing and Creative Writing II; Fiction Writing; Creative Nonfiction Writing; Poetry Writing; Novel Writing; and Screenwriting courses offered by the MPC Performing Arts program. All courses must be taken at MPC; many of the college's literature courses are offered online and can be counted toward the certificate. No Creative Writing courses are presently offered in the online format.

The Creative Writing Program also publishes Scheherazade, the MPC literary magazine. The magazine is student-run and publishes exclusively the original creative work of MPC students. Works published include poetry, short fiction, narrative nonfiction (including memoir), novel excerpts, photography, and graphic art. The magazine is distributed on campus and at local libraries, bookstores, and other establishments.

The MPC Guest Authors Program brings accomplished writers of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction to campus each semester to discuss writing with students and to share their work and thoughts with the public at an evening event. Guest Authors at MPC have included novelists Joyce Carol Oates, Christopher Moore, Craig Johnson, Benjamin Percy, Jane Smiley, Jennifer Gilmore, Laurie R. King, Micah Perks, and Okey Ndibe; short story master and novelist Aimee Bender; nonfiction and fiction author Peter Chilson; narrative journalist Jeff Maysh; and poets Ada Limon, Brenda Hillman, Tami Haaland, and Tess Taylor. The Series hosts an annual reading in April (National Poetry Month) by area poets. The event is called "Bridging the Bay: Poets of the Monterey Region"; participants have included George Lober; Jennifer Lagier; Brandi Kary; Joshua Converse; Simon Hunt; Marc Zegans; Marie Boucher; Kent Leatham.

In addition to English and Writing, the college has Departments and courses in Mathematics, Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Natural Sciences, Health, Hospitality, Physical Education, and Fire and Police Academy.

Monterey Peninsula College competes in the Coast Conference as a Junior College. Its athletic teams are known as the "Lobos", which is derived from lobo (Spanish: wolf).

• Herm Edwards is an American football coach Kansas City Chiefs, and New York Jets and former National Football League (NFL) player Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and Atlanta Falcons. He is currently the head coach at Arizona State University.
• David Fales is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He also played college football at San Jose State.
• Joseph Gutheinz, retired NASA official who investigated stolen and missing moon rocks.
• Ron Johnson, American football player Philadelphia Eagles 1985-89.
• Christopher Kasparek, physician, writer, and translator.
• Jimmy Panetta, James Varni Panetta is an American politician from the state of California. He is a member of the United States House of Representatives for California's 20th congressional district. He is the son of Leon Panetta, who represented the Monterey area in Congress for 16 years before holding such jobs as White House Chief of Staff, Director of the CIA, and Secretary of Defense.[5]
• Chris Barnes American football player running back Baltimore Ravens.
• Terry Poole American football player Seattle Seahawks.
• Herb Lusk American football player Philadelphia Eagles.
• Nate Wright American football player Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Cardinals (NFL), & Minnesota Vikings.
• Bashir Levingston American football player New York Giants & CFL Toronto Argonauts.
• Maurice Mann American football player Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings & CFL Toronto Argonauts.
• Eric Richardson American football player wide receiver Buffalo Bills. He also played college football at San Jose State.
• Nick Cunningham Three time United States Olympic bobsledder in 2010, 2014, and 2018. Nick played CB for the MPC football team and ran track.
• Pete O'Brien Major League Baseball first baseman Texas Rangers 1982-88, Cleveland Indians 1989, and Seattle Mariners 1990-93.
• Marco Ramos Team Mexico basketball player who plays the forward position, he participated at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
• Bill McClintock member of the University of California, Berkeley 1959 NCAA championship team in basketball coached by hall of famer Pete Newell.
• Gaylen Ross director, writer, producer and actress best known for playing Francine Parker in the 1978 horror film Dawn of the Dead.

• Official website