Washington State Community College is located in Marietta. The school founded in 1971 and was originally known as Washington Technical College. The first class was made up of 60 students who took classes in the basement of an elementary school. Now, WSCC welcomes more than 2,000 learners on 180 acres of rolling hills on a beautiful college campus.
Currently, the College offers associate, bachelor degree, and certificate programs in:
- Arts and Sciences
- Business Technologies
- Engineering
- Health Sciences
- Industrial
- Public Service
- Oil and Gas Training
Students who choose to enroll in an associate degree or certificate program at WSCC can transfer their credits toward a bachelor's degree program. They can also move directly into the workforce if they choose. This school is known for offering internship and co-op programs that allow students to practice what they have learned in class. Some students end up getting a job offer from these important opportunities, and the opportunity to develop contacts in the community can prove invaluable as they build their careers.
WSCC is Accredited
The College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. It participates in the Academic Quality Improvement Program. This is an indication that the College's programs meet a certain standard for quality.
The College is committed to ensuring that it maintains the standards necessary to maintain its accreditation. It is also committed to continuous improvement to address needs of all its students.
Prospective students also need to be aware of whether a school they are interested in accredited if they are planning to apply for federal financial aid. Only schools meeting this standard are eligible to participate in the program. Choosing a school that does not have this designation may meet losing out on thousands of dollars of funding.
Distance Learning and College Programs
The advantage of taking college courses online is that the student has the flexibility to study on his or her own schedule. Not everyone who wants to continue his or her education can travel to a college campus for classes. In some cases, the course a prospective student would like to take is not offered at a school located near his or her home. Online programs open up multiple options for students who would like to pursue higher education but who can't attend classes in the so-called conventional manner.
The course material is often identical to that which is covered in an on-campus program. In many cases, the same instructors teach online and on-campus programs. Colleges may offer special training to instructors so that they feel comfortable interacting with student who are not sharing the same space. Some teachers offer "office hours" at set times and make themselves available to their students through online chat to deal with questions or concerns in the same way as they would for students attending a brick and mortar program.
Students are held to the same rigorous standard in distance learning programs as if they went a classroom. They can participate in discussions through online discussion boards and hand in assignments and projects electronically. When their certificate or degree is awarded, it looks the same as one conveyed to an on-campus student.
Washington State College Online Courses
Distance learning programs at WSCC are available to students on a 24/7 basis. No on-campus requirement must be completed in order to graduate. This is a great option for students who want to continue their education while holding down a job and/or caring for a family.
Chemical Operator Certificate Program
The Chemical Operator Certificate program takes one year to complete. Students can complete their coursework entirely online. The curriculum is as follows:
- Introduction to Chemical Operator
- Industrial Safety/Hazmat
- Process Control
- Team Concepts and Practices
- Chemistry Concepts
- Technical Mathematics
- Applied Physics
- Applied Physics Lab
- Industrial Electricity
- Statistical Process Control
- Engineering Materials
- Programmable Logic Controllers
A total of 32 credit hours are required to graduate. As of the fall of 2012, tuition for this program is $4,256.00 for in-state students and $8,512.00 for out-of-state learners. Fees are an additional $600.00. Books for the course mean adding another $1,111.05 to the bill.
A graduate from this program can find work as a chemical plant operator or a systems operator.
Completing an Online Program at Washington State Community College
Is an online certificate or degree program the right choice for you? People who take classes online are not learning by themselves. Support is available, but they do have to have the discipline to log into the school computer system regularly to check their assignments and keep up with their coursework. For someone who is organized and committed to their studies, going online can be a great way to obtain a certificate from Washington State Community College.
This post is contributed by Kimberly Randon. She works as a freelance writer and editor at the custom writing company which provides assistance with write my report clients' queries.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Great post.