M State is comprised of four separate physical campuses located in Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead, and Wadena. The college also administers an eCampus, through which it offers a number of Associate degrees, certificates, and diplomas.
This article will give an overview of the college's online learning, present its online degrees, and explain how its distance education works.
Minnesota Technical Community College – Benefits of Online Learning
Hundreds of students each semester learn through the college's eCampus due to the greater flexibility it affords. Below are some of the benefits online learning provides:
- An asynchronous schedule, which allows students to attend classes and learn at any time, day or night
- Access to benefits from partner organizations Distance Minnesota and Minnesota Online
- Fully accredited programs and degrees that mirror the campus-based college
- Access to the same college instructors and student services offered on the physical campuses
- Online platform which houses courses, assignments, discussion forums, and electronic resources
Registration at M State is simple for online students, and tuition for online courses is the same as the tuition for students attending a physical campus.
Minnesota Technical Community College – Online Structure
The online eCampus is a dynamic platform which houses all of a student's courses and course materials. From the eCampus, students can access syllabi, download assignments and electronic readings, access digital lectures, and participate in online discussion forums.
Students receive a schedule of assignments for each class, and must demonstrate self-reliance in keeping track of scheduled requirements. The online system allows students to turn in completed work digitally.
Instructors are available to assist students individually via email; they also engage with a class through an assigned discussion forum. It is here that students and instructors communicate about learning issues, collaborate on projects, and review feedback.
The college operates on a semester schedule, and students who learn through the eCampus follow the identical academic schedule as those who learn at a physical campus. For those who take a full slate of courses, online Associate degrees can often be attained in two years.
Minnesota Technical Community College – Online Courses
The college offers hundreds of online courses each semester with serve over 20 different programs. Below are the online degrees and certificates offered:
- Associate of Business
- Associate of Computer and Network Technology
- Associate of Computer Help Desk Technician
- Associate of Computer Network Security
- Associate of Computer Programming
- Associate of Health Information Technology
- Associate of Human Resources
- Associate of Legal Administrative Assistant
- Associate of Medical Administrative Assistant
- Associate of Nursing
- Associate of Paralegal
- Associate of Pharmacy Technology
- Associate of Radiologic Technology
- Associate of Web Development
- Certificate in Billing Compliance Specialist
- Certificate in Cisco Networking
- Certificate in Computer and Network Technology
- Certificate in Computer Support Essentials
- Certificate in Medical Receptionist
- Certificate in Medical Transcription
- Certificate in Web Development
- Diploma in Computer and Network Technology
- Diploma in Computer Help Desk Technician
- Diploma in Legal Secretary Technology
- Diploma in Medical Coding and Insurance
- Diploma in Medical Office Assistant
- Diploma in Nursing
- Diploma in Pharmacy Technology
- Diploma in Web Development
Courses in all of the above programs are fully asynchronous, meaning students are not required to attend live online classes.
Minnesota Technical Community College – Quality Distance Learning
Students who learn through the eCampus have access to the identical courses, instructors, and college resources as those who attend classes at the physical campus. With its asynchronous schedule of courses, online supports, and diverse range of available degrees, online learning at M State is just as rewarding as traditional learning, but with more flexibility.
For more information, reference M State's guide to online education, from which the information for this article was gleaned.
For those interested in additional community college online learning opportunities, see also:
Community College Class Online Guide
ECPI College of Technology Online
David Harris-Gershon - David Harris-Gershon – a blogger for Tikkun magazine and a freelance writer on Israel, the Middle East and America’s role in ...
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