Abundant Accredited Online Associate Degrees at SPC
St. Petersburg College appears in our ranking of the Top 15 Affordable Associate’s in Web Development Online
Ranked 10th by Community College Week, St. Petersburg College is a public, coed FCS member in Clearwater that offers 89 associate, 23 bachelor’s, six short-term training diploma, and 61 certificate programs, including 54 fully online, at a 22:1 student-teacher ratio. For example, the Computer Networking A.S. follows a 60-credit, two-year online plan outlined by Dr. James Stewart with two specializations for Network Administration and Network Engineering that fulfill the Cisco CCNA certification. Chaired by Dr. Deanna Stentiford, the Health Information Technology A.S. shapes a 70-credit, CAHIIM-accredited Web curriculum with built-in RHIT certification prep after courses like Electronic Health Record Systems and one field practicum, such as Morton Plant Hospital.
Online on D2L Brightspace since Fall 2013, the Early Childhood Education A.S. has plotted 60-credit specializations in Infant and Toddler or Preschool Development under Dr. Kimberly Hartman to earn Florida’s CDA credential for Birth-K teaching at median $27,990 pay. Directed by Dr. Brian Frank, the College of Public Safety delivers a 60-credit Crime Scene Technology A.S. online with practical 2000-level courses like Fingerprint Classification and Forensics Lab experience for 92 percent job placement.
Additional online St. Petersburg degrees include the Business Administration A.S., Cybersecurity A.S., Emergency Administration A.S., Health Sciences A.S., Fire Science Technology A.S., Organizational Leadership A.S., Veterinary Technology A.S., and Web Development A.S.
About St. Petersburg College
St. Petersburg College originated in September 1927 when President George Lynch welcomed an inaugural class of 102 to St. Petersburg High School for nonprofit, college-level education. In 1928, the St. Petersburg Public Schools superintendent moved it to Mirror Lake’s shoreline. The next Spring, half of the 48 graduates earned two-year teaching diplomas. On January 1, 1931, St. Petersburg Junior College received initial regional accreditation. In 1942, the James E. Hendry Administration Building was erected on its permanent Pinellas County home. In 1948, it was acquired by the Florida College System for public education. In 1965, it merged with the historically Black Gibbs Junior College to desegregate. In 1988, the Allstate Center was launched for the College of Public Safety. By 1998, the American Association of Community College Trustees applauded SPJC for the #1 best president. In 2001, the St. Petersburg College name was chosen when bachelor’s degrees grew.
Budgeting $142.47 million, St. Petersburg College now employs 4,185 staff serving 39,507 for-credit and 7,199 non-credit Titans from 62 countries online, on the 40-acre Clearwater campus, or at 13 Florida extension centers with 50+ clubs like the Electronic Sports Team. In 2016, SPC won the Governor’s Higher Education Leadership Award at the Degrees to Jobs Summit. In 2019, SPC accepted the American Library Association’s Award for Excellence in Adult Library Services. St. Petersburg College had two 2017 Phi Theta Kappa All-Florida Academic Team Award recipients too. The Institute of International Education placed SPC sixth nationally for studying abroad. On Niche, SPC boasts America’s 77th safest campus, 147th best location, and 394th best student life. College Factual named SPC 128th for business, 82nd for computer science, and 21st for health professions programs. Military Times EDGE declared St. Petersburg College the 15th best for veterans.
St. Petersburg College Accreditation Details
On June 14, 2018, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees voted favorably to extend the Level II accreditation status without public sanctions through 2028-29 under the seventh president, Dr. Tonjua Williams, who earned the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Businesswoman of the Year Award. Located 485 miles up Interstate 75 in Decatur, this great 11-state Gulf Coast Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and Florida Department of Education (FDOE). The Academic Affairs Office also lists the following accreditations:
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- American Veterinary Medical Association
- Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education
- American Bar Association Standing Committee on Paralegals
- Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
- American Board of Funeral Service Education
- Commission on Dental Accreditation
- Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
- Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management
St. Petersburg College Application Requirements
Getting into St. Petersburg College is classified “non-competitive” by Peterson’s because 100 percent of the 8,663 Fall 2017 applicants were selected for easy open enrollment. First-year Titans still must complete a high school diploma, GED equivalency, or home education program though. Dual enrollment students must have finished two-thirds of secondary units with a minimum 3.0 GPA. The Honors Program requires at least 3.5 GPA, 1200 SAT and 26 ACT marks. Others simply need 2.0 and better GPAs to maintain good academic standing. If taken, Post-Secondary Readiness Test scores should be above 106 for Reading, 103 for Writing, and 96 for Math. FCAT scores of 262 and better are deemed college ready. Preferred Accuplacer scores are currently 83 for Reading and 72 for Algebra. Placement testing waivers are available with a minimum 19 ACT English and 18 ACT Math mark. Certain online programs, such as the Veterinary Technology A.S., also mandate 40+ hours of observation.
St. Petersburg College has set priority apply dates of January 2nd for Spring, April 5th for Summer, July 12th for Fall, and November 2nd for Winter courses. Final international deadlines are October 19th, March 15th, June 1st, and October 19th respectively. For first-come financial aid consideration, file before December 10th. Accordingly, complete the 15-minute SPC Application online with the $40 processing fee. Forward official transcripts to PO Box 13489 in St. Petersburg, FL 33733. Directly send testing results via SAT/TOEFL code 5606 or ACT code 0791. Attach supplemental materials, such as the Florida residency form, placement exam, mid-year school report, transfer evaluation, and personal statement. Contact (727) 341-4772 or admissions@spcollege.edu with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, St. Petersburg College is charging Florida residents $111 per lower-division course credit. Non-resident associate tuition costs $386 per credit. Upper-division Sunshine State students spend $122 per credit. Out-of-state bachelor’s majors cover $425 per credit. Non-credit adult vocational programs are $75 to $301 per credit. Online undergrads add the $15 distance learning fee per credit. The international study abroad fee is $200 per semester. Standardized exams, such as the Student Life Skills Test, will bill $15 to $35 apiece. SPC budgets $1,600 for books, $9,754 for off-campus living, and $4,898 for miscellaneous each year. Annual associate attendance equals about $18,934 in-state and $25,538 out-of-state.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Assistance Services Office connects 49 percent of full-time SPC Titans to tuition aid averaging $6,156 apiece for $89.15 million combined. Institutional funds include the Alvah & Wyline Chapman Scholarship, Diane Prescott Memorial Scholarship, A.D. Morgan Scholarship, Alfred May Alumni Scholarship, Amy Blanton Scholarship, Annette Helms-Hoogvelt Memorial Scholarship, Charles Belcher Scholarship, Derby Lane Scholarship, Evelyn Jerger Scholarship, Jackaline Dunlap Scholarship, Mabel Emerson Memorial Scholarship, Paul Bauder Memorial Scholarship, and Sel Rel Scholarship. The Presidential Scholarship covers 60 credit hours for Pinellas County high school graduates with minimum 3.3 GPAs. The Perry Marsh/Bank of America Scholarship gifts $1,200 annually to full-time undergrads with GPAs above 3.0 who pursue banking careers. Federal programs, such as the Pell Grant and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, require FAFSA applications coded 001528. Floridians also access the Bright Futures Scholarship, First-Generation Matching Grant, Horatio Alger Scholarship, William Boyd IV Grant, Friends of 440 Scholarship, and more.
Continue reading about St. Petersburg College at the Online Programs Department website.
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