Online Associate’s Degree Programs at Western Texas College
Western Texas College appears in our ranking of the 20 Best Colleges for an Online Associates Degree.
Western Texas College offers an online course schedule that lets students see all the classes that are available online every semester. This helps them see what courses will count towards their degrees too. The college offers Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) and Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree programs. Through the Agriculture Department, students can earn degrees in food science, horticulture, recreation management, range medicine, and agricultural business. The college also offers a vet training program that helps students complete the prerequisites for most veterinary science programs.
The Western Texas College Department of Social Sciences can help students learn about psychology and other social sciences as they work on their degrees. In the history program, students gain a better understanding of the factors that affected the history of the state, country, and world. History majors will take United States History I and II, Western Civilization I and II, Texas History and World Civilization I and II. The college’s government program includes some history courses as well as Introduction to Political Science, Federal Government and Texas Government.
In the geology program, online students have the chance to study science in two earth science classes, both of which include lab work that they can do at home. They’ll also take Oceanography and Meteorology. The college’s biology program also features science courses, including Biology, Nutrition and Diet Therapy, General Zoology, Environmental Biology, and Anatomy and Physiology. Western Texas College also offers an education major that includes general education courses designed for students who want to work as teaching assistants and those who want to earn their teaching licenses. All those classes will transfer to a four-year university.
Online students can study communications at the college too. In Introduction to Mass Communication, they look at the methods of sharing information with a wide group of people. Media Writing is another online course that is available for communication majors. It teaches students how to gather and process data before they write content for the web and other uses. The college offers speech and public speaking classes too. Students will need to film the speeches they give in public and upload their work for critiques by their peers. All of the online associate’s degree programs offered by Western Texas College include general education courses that students need to take.
About Western Texas College
Western Texas College is a public college known as WTC. Established in 1969 with one campus in Snyder, Texas, it now has two campuses in that city. Another branch of WTC is College on the Square, which offers classes for adult students. The college also created the Opportunity Center to offer single classes for students who need to improve their skills. This center also offers workforce training programs with support from local employers. Distance learning programs give students the choice of finishing degrees online or taking classes online. These programs are also open to high school students through the college’s dual enrollment track. Though most students come from Scurry County, the college serves those living in nine other counties, including Stonewall and Borden. The more than 3,100 students enrolled in WTC can choose majors in one of four degree programs, including business administration and education.
Western Texas College Accreditation Details
WTC is a member of several academic organizations and has regional accreditation. Students who need financial aid for college must attend a school with this type of regional accreditation to use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). WTC has this accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It gives the college the right to establish degree programs and award degrees to students who complete the requirements of those programs.
Western Texas College Application Requirements
Any student can apply to WTC as long as they are 18 years or older and have a high school diploma. High school graduates need to provide their school transcripts after finishing the application. Students who lack a diploma can still apply but will need to send in their GED test scores. WTC also allows students to supply their college transcripts if they want to transfer credits and attended a different college or university. The application process asks students to apply online, submit their transcripts or GED scores and provide proof of their vaccinations. WTC asks for vaccination records from students who are under 21 and plan to take any classes on-campus. Students enrolled in the college’s online programs do not need to submit their health records.
The college also asks for a score from the Texas Success Initiative Placement Test. Some students are exempt from this test, including those who took one of the national standardized tests. They can submit an ACT or SAT score instead. WTC also requires that students fill out the FAFSA before they register for classes to make sure that they get grants and other assistance. The college has a video that shows students how to use this form.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Residents of Scurry County qualify for the college’s in-district rate of $58 per credit hour. Most of the classes they take will cost $355 to $470 in tuition and fees. Students from any other district or country pay a rate of $95 per credit hour, which is the college’s in-state rate. WTC also charges $132 per credit hour for students who are not from Texas. Some classes may require that students pay a small lab fee. Though online students have access to some free resources, they’ll also need to purchase textbooks for some of their courses.
March 15 is the priority deadline for students seeking financial aid. The college cannot guarantee that those who file the FAFSA after this deadline will get as much assistance. Students can then go online and log into their accounts to verify their information is correct and to sign the promissory notes for their loans. With subsidized loans, students do not need to worry about interest on their loans until they spend six months out of school. Grants and scholarships go to students too. Students in the online associate’s degree programs at Western Texas College will get a check four weeks into the semester if they have positive balances on their accounts.
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