We’ll Be Offering More Online Classes Than Ever

CCC is greatly expanding its selection of online courses, degrees and certificates!

The expansion focuses on career education offerings, courtesy of a $461,000 grant from the California Community College’s Improving Online CTE Pathways Grant Program.

Career education prepares students for jobs or advancement in high-demand fields. CCC offers degrees, certificates and courses in 20 career education areas. Their length and focus varies greatly. Some aim to get students ready for work in a semester of less. Others prepare students for transfer with two-year associate degrees.

The goal of the project is to create fully online degree and certificate programs.

It also aims to increase student success in online courses, through student preparation programs and faculty training and support.

“Our ultimate goal is increasing access,” said Contra Costa Community College District Associate Vice Chancellor of Educational Services Kelly Schelin, who helped secure the grant funding that makes this expansion possible.

“We’re doing this for everyone, but especially for students who work, or need to schedule classes around family constraints or other commitments. Online courses are much more flexible in that way. They also save students time and money, because they don’t have to go to campus for every class meeting.

“Between this, evening classes, our free tuition for first-time, full-time students, and the increasing number of zero cost textbook classes that we offer, you can really see how much we’re striving to put higher education within everyone’s reach.”

CCC has long offered a broad selection of online courses. Five of its career education programs are already 75% or more online.

Courses in many other academic departments are also offered online, and the school plans to continue to expand its online options into the foreseeable future.