Online Associate Degree Programs Offered at the College of Southern Maryland
College of Southern Maryland appears in our ranking of the Top 15 Affordable Associate’s in Web Development Online.
The College of Southern Maryland offers five associate degree programs that students can complete entirely from the comfort of their homes. One popular option is an Associate of Science (AS) in Business Administration. This program features 60 to 61 credits and prepares students for working as managers and administrators or for continuing their studies. Some of the business classes that majors take include Introduction to Business in a Market Economy, Principles of Accounting and Applied Business Communication.
Another AS program is available in business administration and technical management. Students learn about working in a variety of technical fields and how to manage both workers and resources. Though it includes some of the same classes as the other business administration program does, it also features courses such as Introduction to Business Strategy and Computing and Information Technology. The college also offers an online business management program that features some different electives, including Automated Account Systems, Introduction to Project Management, Cost Accounting and Social Entrepreneurship.
Other options are available online for students outside of the business field. One of those options is the college’s Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Information Services Technology. Designed for those who want to work in IT fields, it teaches students how to use some of the software that those professionals use daily and how to find solutions to technology problems. Students get three credits for an applied learning class, and they can choose between doing a co-op experience or a capstone project. They’ll also take IT classes, including Introduction to Linux, Data Communications, Computer Security and Program Design and Development.
The college also offers an online AS in Sport Management that prepares students for working as managers of sports facilities or athletes. Between the general education and the required management classes that students take, they develop the skills they need in a bachelor’s program and when they go to work. Those courses include Introduction to the Sociology of Sport, Wellness for a Diverse Society and Introduction to Legal Issues of Sports, Recreation and Leisure. The program also includes a class called Kinesiology: An Introduction to the Field, which teaches students about the anatomy of the human body and how the body recovers from injuries.
About the College of Southern Maryland
College of Southern Maryland is a community college that offers programs and opportunities for residents of southern Maryland and surrounding areas. Before becoming College of Southern Maryland, the college operated as Charles County Junior College, which opened in 1958. It only offered evening classes at night in a local high school. The college developed a strong reputation for the apprentice programs it offered, which allowed students to train with working professionals in the field. Ten years after opening, the college started work on a new campus in La Plata. This campus is now home to the College of Southern Maryland or CSM.
CSM still specializes in programs for residents of the state but now offers online programs that are suitable for students across the country. It added campuses in Prince Frederick, Hughesville and Leonardtown over the years to increase the opportunities available for local students. Those campuses and the online programs helped enrollment at College of Southern Maryland rise to include more than 23,000 students.
College of Southern Maryland Accreditation Details
CSM has accreditation for some of its degree programs, including those in physical therapy, medical technology, nursing and business. All the business programs available on the CSM campus and those open to online students have accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). It also has accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which is why the college can design financial aid packages for students and let them transfer credits in and out of its programs.
College of Southern Maryland Application Requirements
High school students in Maryland can attend CSM and earn credits that count towards their diplomas and future college degrees. The college also accepts students who recently graduated from high school and those who have a GED. Students must submit the CSM application and add some basic information to the application. Though the college does not ask for a social security number on the application, students must provide this number when they register for classes. If the college has any questions about the student or needs to see if the student qualifies for resident status, CSM will contact them.
Once they submit this application, students can apply for financial aid and take the college’s placement test. Those who scored 1100 on the SAT or 21 on the ACT can submit their scores in lieu of taking this test. The college can also waive this requirement after it evaluates a student’s transcript or sees that a student took AP classes. Students also need to sign up for a registration and orientation event.
Tuition and Financial Aid
CSM has a payment due date each semester. Students must pay the balances on their accounts or have financial aid that will cover those balances by that date. If the college does not see those arrangements or get a check from the student, it can the student from his or her classes. The cost of residents of St. Mary’s County, Calvert County or Charles County is $127.50 per credit hour. Students who live in other Maryland counties pay $222 per credit hour, and students from outside of the state pay $286 per credit hour. The college also charges a $20 per credit hour rate for students taking exams to earn credits. Tuition waivers are available for certain students, including those who were in foster care and retired or disabled students.
Students who need financial aid can work with CSM to find scholarships that they can apply for each year. The college offers one scholarship for the children and spouses of veterans and military personnel and another for students who graduated from a public high school in Charles County. Students can also qualify for a scholarship or a grant from the state. To get federal financial aid such as student loans, they need to use the FAFSA. Many types of financial aid go to students applying to one of the online associate degree programs offered by College of Southern Maryland.
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