Atlanta Technical College has just offered students more flexibility by putting five of its most-popular degree programs online.
“We felt that earning a degree online fit the current needs of many of our students,” said Alvetta Peterman Thomas, Atlanta Technical College president. “Because of the recent economic downturn, many people are enrolled at Atlanta Tech to upgrade skills or change careers. As the economy starts to pick up, many of those students will want to go back to work, but they’ll also need a way to complete the programs they started.”
Students who can’t attend campus classes because of work or family obligations can now complete two-year associate degrees in paralegal studies, accounting, business administrative technology, marketing management, and management and supervisory development from home. The growth in private online universities and the success of their graduates spurred Atlanta Tech to offer an alternative education that would be less expensive than private or for-profit schools, Peterman Thomas said.
The tuition for online classes is the same as it is for campus programs at technical colleges, about $51 per credit hour. The course curriculum for online programs is the same as campus instruction.
“We looked for programs that were popular with students that did not include a significant lab or tool component that would require them to come to campus,” Peterman Thomas said.
The online programs allow students to hear lectures, perform research, complete assignments, chat with other students and interact with professors via e-mail. Technology support is available through the college’s computer labs.
“At the end of the day, we have a responsibility to the businesses who hire our students to make sure that our graduates are academically prepared. These courses have strong academic rigor and our instructors have gone through specialized training to teach online,” Peterman Thomas said.
All of the degree programs have diploma options and three to-six month certificates of credits embedded within them. This allows students with degrees to gain new skills and enter the work force more quickly.
The paralegal studies program equips students with the legal knowledge and skills required to help attorneys deliver legal services in law offices, corporations and government agencies. The management and supervisory development program is aimed at workers who want to move into management or supervisory positions. It covers employee training, labor relations, performance evaluations, counseling and other functions.
Jobs in accounting and auditing are expected to grow by 22 percent through 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Students enrolled in the online accounting program learn about keeping financial records, spreadsheets, database fundamentals, tax preparation and other skills.
The business administrative technology program prepares students to work in various office positions. Marketing management, with specializations in marketing administration or entrepreneurship, prepares students for business marketing jobs.
“Online learning isn’t for everyone,” Peterman Thomas said. “A person needs good computer skills and to be disciplined enough to keep to the schedule and do the work. The advantage, however, is much greater academic flexibility.”
The application deadline for summer quarter is May 26; for fall semester, it’s July 21. To learn more, call 404-225-4461 or go to www.atlantatech.edu.
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