MOOCs are Massive Open Online Courses that can help you learn new skills according to your budget and availability. There are various reputable online platforms that offer these courses across different disciplines and specializations. Some of these platforms include Coursera, Udemy, Udacity, Futurelearn, etc. Taking MOOCs can be a good way to upskill and add more skills to your resume to boost your chances of getting hired. Let’s learn about ‘Can I Take MOOCs For College Credit?’.
Can I Take MOOCs For College Credit?
Some MOOCs are part of an online degree and can offer you college credit. However, you must make sure that the courses you are applying for aligns with your academic needs and career goals. It is also important that you discuss with an enrolment counselor before making your choices. Different schools might have varying requirements for college credits, so you must fact-check with dedicated personnel before proceeding with your application.
What are College credits?
They are a measure of the effort and duration you have invested in a course, usually to reward you and boost your academic standing. College credits are usually a requirement for the completion of degree courses online or offline, and can only be valid from accredited sources. There are many ways to earn college credits and once you have them, they can be used to fulfill the requirements for earning your degree.
How to Get College Credits?
Exploring options to earn more college credits can help you speed up the duration of your degree course. For instance, you can complete a four-year-degree course requiring 120 credits in 3 years or less if you can earn more credits from accredited sources to make up for your requirements. Here are some ways to earn college credits:
1. CLEP exams
This is a great way to earn college credits for some of the subjects you might be familiar with. There are over 30 subject-based exams put together by experts to gauge your abilities and earn you credits. If you can get a high score, there are over 30,000 colleges across the U.S. that will consider giving you college credits for your achievement. To pass a CLEP exam, you simply go to the website and choose a topic you already know something about, work on the practice guide and then take the exam.
2. ALEKS courses
Taking ALEKS courses can help you earn college math credits. This is a monthly subscription-based program that gives you access to courses that have been approved by the ACE (American Council on Education). If you get a 70% on their in-class quizzes and tests, ACE would recommend you for college credits, and a lot of colleges acknowledge that recommendation.
3. Onlinedegree.com
This is a website that’s helping adults advance their careers by offering a wide range of courses free of charge to anyone who is interested. It’s as easy as signing up for your preferred courses and completing the course requirements along with quizzes, and if you get a high grade, they will recommend you for college credits. They are accredited by the NCCRS (the National College Credit Recommendation Service).
4. Study.com
This is another amazing website where you can find courses that transfer to college credits, but you have to pay. There are over 300 courses on this website that cost $200 each and can potentially earn you credits that are acknowledged by up to 1500 schools.
5. Advanced classes
Enrolling for accredited exams such as Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) program can also help you earn college credits. Your focus should be to score high enough scores to be considered.
You can also explore dual enrolment by opting for local community college classes if you are junior or senior. Again, you should aim for a high score so that you can get a recommendation for college credit.
Conclusion
Earning college credits is a good way to speed up your timeline for acquiring a college degree. It will also give you a good start in your future academic pursuits as you will have earned endorsements from reputable institutions. However, the most important factor in earning college credit is to make sure that your school acknowledges such credits as requirements vary by institution.
Frequently Asked Questions
- 1. Does onlinedegree.com grant credit?
No. onlinedegree.com only offers college-level courses that can help you earn college credits from participating universities. Check if your school is listed on its website before proceeding.
- 2. How many credits do I need for a bachelor’s degree?
The typical requirement is 120 credits. But you must consider general education requirements, major requirements, and electives listed by your school with respect to your course.
- 3. What does 1 credit mean in college?
1 college credit simply means that you have spent 1hour in the classroom and 2 hours on your own learning on the course.
- 4. Do college credits expire?
No. But changes in policy might affect their transferability.
