College of DuPage Online Program Offers Quality and Flexibility

According to a report from Illinois Virtual Campus, the online learning program at College of DuPage has the highest enrollment of any community college or public university in Illinois. Based on information supplied by the Illinois Community College Board, the report also lists College of DuPage as having the third largest online enrollment of any higher-learning organization in Illinois, including for-profit and private institutions.

"Our online programs are an important way we serve our district and community," said Associate Dean of Instructional Technology Brett Coup. "They make it easier for us to reach students who might not otherwise be able to attend college."

According to Coup, all distance learning courses at College of DuPage are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offer the same rigor, quality education and knowledgeable instructors as traditional courses.

"There's a myth that online courses are lonely or isolating, but we work hard to ensure that's not the case," said Coup. "We want online courses to be a fun and engaging experience for students; just like traditional courses but with greater flexibility so that it's easier to balance school with job responsibilities, family obligations, social lives and other demands."

To support the growth of online courses, the College recently established the Learning Technologies department, in which instructional design experts work closely with faculty to create high-quality courses, develop multimedia content for the online classroom, and provide resources for learning and support for both students and instructors.

Adding six new courses for the spring and summer 2015 terms, COD Online now offers more than 250 courses in 44 disciplines, making College of DuPage the leading community college in the state in both terms of quantity and variety of online courses.

At present, students can earn an Associate in Arts, Associate in Science or an Associate in General Studies entirely online. All general education courses for an Associate in Applied Science can be completed online with A.A.S. degrees in Accounting, Administrative Support, Criminal Justice, Executive Assistance, Fire Science Technology, Library Information Technology, Management and Marketing available completely online. The College also offers nearly 30 online certificate programs, ranging from C++ Language Proficiency and Web Specialist to Business, E-Commerce and Marketing to Criminal Justice and Veterans Counseling.

For more information on COD Online, call (630) 942-2490, email codonline@cod.edu, or visit http://cod.edu/Online.