Online Associate Degree Programs at Sessions College for Professional Design
Sessions College for Professional Design appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Cheapest Associate’s in Graphic Design Degrees Online.
Sessions College for Professional Design is one of the few colleges in the nation that operates entirely online. Its students have the chance to earn an associate degree in any number of art fields such as graphic design. The college offers an Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) in Graphic Design that helps students build design skills and create portfolios that show their work. Online students will take classes such as Photoshop I and Illustration I to learn how to edit the work they do.
Students who want to develop their own apps and apps for others may prefer the college’s online web design program. Some students who went through this program made money off the apps they created in their classes. It includes courses such as Internet Marketing, Web Design, Web Typography, and Wordpress Development. The college’s digital media program focuses more on creating content for the web such as GIFs and videos. Digital Video Editing is a required course that shows students how to edit digital media, while Intro to Motion is a course that shows them how to look at the ways in which people and animals move. The program also includes classes on character design and development.
In the college’s illustration program, students learn how to create illustrations for their own work and the work of others. They may create small drawings found inside books and make the covers on the outside of those books. Drawing and Life Drawing are two of the classes in this program. The college expects students to create work and get feedback from their peers and to provide feedback for the work done by others.
The college also offers online associate programs in advertising and photography. In the photography program, students learn the basics of both studio and digital photography. They must have access to cameras for those classes, but the college will provide them with resources they can use when editing. The advertising program looks at both online and traditional forms of advertising. Students learn how to create campaigns and work based on the needs/wishes of their clients. Intro to Marketing, Marketing Design and Creative Concept Development are some of the program’s required classes. All online programs at the college give students the chance to create portfolios before they finish their degrees.
About Sessions College for Professional Design
Though the Sessions College for Professional Design has its headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, it’s an entirely online college. All the degree and certificate programs available today include online courses that students can take while living in Arizona and any other state. Established in 2007 in New York, the college would only operate there for two years before moving to the new location in Arizona. Also called Sessions and Sessions College, it’s now one of the top options for online art students. Students can earn their degrees in just two years and study fields such as graphic design and illustration.
GD USA Magazine included Sessions College on its 2014 list of the best art schools in the United States. It ranked among some of the more leading traditional schools and top colleges that offer online art programs. It also ranks as one of the top online programs in the nation, according to the United States Distance Learning Association. The Sessions College for Professional Design has an enrollment of 1,500 online students.
Sessions College for Professional Design Accreditation Details
As Sessions College is an online school, it sought the accreditation that would let students know it functioned as a distance education college. That accreditation comes from the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). It also has full accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which means that its students can apply for financial aid. Sessions also has approval from the Arizona Department of Education.
Sessions College for Professional Design Application Requirements
Sessions College wants students to feel confident before they apply, which is why it has academic counselors ready to help them. Prospective students can use a live chat feature on the website or call the college to speak with one of those counselors. They can also email the college and have a counselor call them back. Counselors will explain how the college starts a new session at least once a month and give them an idea of the schedules they will follow. They can also get help applying for financial aid online.
The counselors who work for the college can help students fill out an application over the phone or online, which will save them some time. Instead of creating an online account and then waiting for a response, they can answer a few questions and provide the counselor with information that he or she will use to fill out the application. Students can get a response in just a few minutes and learn if they need to supply any other documents such as a high school transcript. Those who already attended college can submit official transcripts to get credit towards a Sessions program. The college also allows students to submit an application on their own online.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The United States Department of Education ranked Sessions College as one of the nation’s more affordable online colleges. Students pay a $75 application fee and a $200 registration fee at the beginning of the session. They then pay $350 per credit hour for their classes and a $50 technology fee that is due each semester or session. Full-time students pay $4,200 per semester or $12,600 each year. Students can complete an online associate degree for $25,200 in total. The college does not charge extra for textbooks and allows students free access to online resources.
Sessions College has both payment plans for students who need them and scholarships. Its scholarships range from $500 to $2,000. Many are available for adult learners who cannot afford the cost of college. It will also accept the GI Bill benefits that military students receive. Others who need assistance can submit the FAFSA. They may get a Federal Direct PLUS Loan, a Federal Direct Loan or a Pell Grant. Any student applying to the Sessions College for Professional Design graphic design program or any of its other online associate programs can apply for government financial aid.
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