Online Associate Degree Programs at Housatonic Community College
Housatonic Community College appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Associate’s in General Studies Online.
Both traditional college students and high school students can attend Housatonic Community College, which also offers degree programs for adult students. Students can earn online degrees, which give them the freedom to work around their schedules. Those programs are suitable for adults who work full-time and those who attend high school during the day. To meet the needs of its nontraditional students, the college also offers weekend and evening classes.
Continuing and professional education courses and programs are available online for students from Housatonic Community College. They can sign up for individual courses that prepare them for the SAT and classes that let them learn about a specific topic such as grant writing or real estate principles. Some of these online classes are also suitable for students who earned a degree from the college such as an exam review course for those taking the AAPC exam. There is also an online course for students who want to get a certificate in sports nutrition.
Housatonic Community College now offers 16 different associate degree programs, including majors in paramedic studies and surgical technology. Some of these programs offer concentrations such as its liberal arts major, which allows students to focus on social science, nutrition or communications. Business majors can focus their studies on general business administration, finance, global business, human resources management, management, marketing or entrepreneurship. The college offers different options for fine arts majors too, including illustration and art therapy.
Most of the associate degree programs offered by Housatonic Community College are available online as a distance education option. The college also has transfer programs designed for those who know they will transfer to another school later. Each program allows students to take general education courses and some of their prerequisites. Those programs include majors in general studies, chemistry, social work, theater, computer science, and biology. Some of the certificates that students can earn include those in network technology and graphic design too.
About Housatonic Community College
Housatonic Community College is a community college that is part of the large public college and university system in Connecticut. This system makes it easy for students to transfer to a larger university after they finish an associate degree. The college offers general education courses and specialized classes for transfer students. Established in 1967, it is one of the oldest community colleges in the state. Also called HCC, it has a campus in Bridgeport. That campus was only built in 1997 and offers more modern amenities and resources for students.
The HCC campus is home to the Housatonic Museum of Art, which houses more than 4,500 works produced by professional artists. Many of the pieces are on display in buildings on the campus, but others are in galleries named for the former art professor at the college. HCC established an honors program as a way to help students with higher grades do better after leaving high school. It also offers a program for high school students who want to earn college credits, which they can do so through classes on the Bridgeport campus and via online classes. More than 5,600 students now attend HCC.
Housatonic Community College Accreditation Details
Though some community colleges do not seek regional accreditation, HCC did. It has regional accreditation from the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE). This type of accreditation is important because the college offers a number of transfer programs for students who want to earn their bachelor’s degrees. NECHE accreditation ensures that the credits they complete at the college will transfer to other schools.
Housatonic Community College Application Requirements
It takes only a few weeks to apply to HCC and register for classes. Some students can even register for classes within a few days of applying. HCC attends college fairs and has representatives who can take to students about the process and let them fill out their applications on the spot. It also allows students to apply online. This application includes just a few sections and allows students to tell the college more about their backgrounds. They can list where they went to high school and whether they finished high school. Students can also visit the HCC campus and fill out an application during a campus tour.
HCC typically requires an SAT score but has waivers for students who already attended college and those who are older in age. Those students can request a waiver when filling out the application. All students will then need to go online and fill out a placement test form to schedule their exams. Those tests are what the college uses to determine where students place within different subject areas. Online students do not need to submit their immunization records, but they will need to sign up for an advising session. This session pairs the student with an advisor to go over the courses that he or she should take.
Tuition and Financial Aid
HCC offers both an in-state resident rate and a nonresident rate. Connecticut residents pay $163 per credit hour, but the cost with fees incorporated is $269 per credit hour. All nonresidents pay $757 per credit hour, which includes their fees. Those fees cover the costs charged by the university for the resources that students use and include an activity fee. Online students will need to pay for any software or supplies that they need in their classes as well as their textbooks.
The college offers FAFSA workshops for students who have questions about getting financial aid. It also allows students to speak with a counselor online or on the phone. Most students will use their parents’ tax returns to file, but if they meet certain requirements, they can use their own tax returns. The FAFSA determines how much aid a student needs based on how much financial support his or her family can offer. HCC requires that students declare a major when applying to the college and before they apply for financial aid. Aid can come from both the state and the federal government and may include loans and grants. Students can also join the Federal Work Study program, which requires that they work for the college in some capacity. Financial aid award letters from Housatonic Community College show online students exactly how much they will get in the coming year.
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