ADAMS STATE COLLEGE

Extended Studies
Alamosa, Colorado

Adams State College (ASC), which was founded in 1921, is located in the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado in the city of Alamosa. Alamosa, at an elevation of 7,500 feet above sea level, is surrounded by mountain ranges with peaks rising up to 14,000 feet above sea level. The student body is composed of approximately 2,500 individuals from various ethnic and racial backgrounds. Adams State College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The School of Education is currently accepted as a candidate in the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC).

Distance Learning Program

Adams State College has been providing programs to off-campus students for more than twenty-five years. In the past year, more than 18,000 students took advantage of one of the options offered through Extended Studies.

The Distance Degree Program offers a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in business administration, interdisciplinary studies, and sociology; a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in business administration; and the Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees.

Certificate programs are available in alternative dispute resolution (mediation), legal investigation, legal nurse consultant training, legal secretary studies, management information systems, paralegal studies, and victim advocacy. Students who are not interested in degree completion can enroll in more than 140 independent-study/correspondence courses in accounting, business, business finance, business management, business strategy, criminology, economics, education, English, geography, geology, history, management, marketing, math, psychology, social theory, social welfare, and sociology.

Delivery Media

A variety of delivery options are available to students for all the accounting, business administration, criminology, economics, education, English, geography, geology, history, management, sociology, and general education courses, including online delivery, print materials, and face-to-face instruction at various sites. Students enrolling in an online or independent-study (correspondence) course are provided with a syllabus explaining course requirements. In many cases, the student is able to print the syllabus from the ASC Web site. Students send completed course work directly to the instructor. Some courses require proctored examinations, while others have online examinations. Online and traditional tools are available for courses, such as e-mail, textbooks, and videotapes. All ASC instructors are available by telephone, fax, e-mail, and surface mail.

Programs of Study

The B.A. and B.S. degrees in business administration require 120 semester credits for graduation; 45 must be junior- or senior-level credits, and a minimum of 30 credits must be completed with ASC. B.A./B.S. degree requirements include 40 semester credits in general education and approximately 40 in electives and 40 in the major field (specific requirements subject to the academic major). A maximum of 90 semester credits can be transferred to ASC, of which a maximum of 60 may be from junior/community colleges. Admitted students must maintain active status by enrolling in at least one ASC course per semester.

A.A. and A.S. degree program requirements include 43 semester credits in general education and 17 in electives. Students must complete general education course work to satisfy requirements from the following eight areas: oral and written communication, human behavior and institutions, history and culture, and arts and literature (6 credits each); quantitative thinking (3 credits) and speech fundamentals (3 credits; speech is required for A.A. and A.S. degrees only); science foundations and issues (8 credits); and health and fitness (2 credits). For specific course titles that meet these requirements, students should visit the ASC Web site at http://exstudies.adams.edu/degree.html.

Transfer credit is accepted from accredited institutions recommended by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Credits from a nonaccredited institution may be petitioned for transfer after the student has completed at least 24 semester credits at ASC with a C (2.0 GPA) average or better. Students may petition the appropriate academic dean for approval of courses that are not accepted during the normal admission and transfer process.

Special Programs

Courses that have attracted the interests of many students include the popular certificate programs in paralegal studies, alternative dispute resolution (mediation), legal investigation, legal nurse consultant training, legal secretary studies, and victim advocacy.

More than 200 six-week, noncredit, online interactive courses are available to students who are not interested in a standard academic program but are seeking a short-term solution to a current need. These courses are designed to provide the student with new skills and knowledge or to improve current skills. The categories of courses include business management, computer and software applications, entrepreneur studies, health, Internet, personal enrichment, small business, and Web page design. For a complete listing, students should visit http://www.ed2go.com/adams/.

ASC offers a wide range of online and independent-study graduate courses that have been developed for teachers. Many schools and school districts allow these courses to be used for in-service training or recertification purposes. Customized graduate certificate programs are designed to meet the professional development needs of educators.

Student Services

Free unofficial transfer evaluations are offered to students who are interested in the degree program. The ASC adviser provides students with a free, preliminary, unofficial credit evaluation upon request. Students must provide copies of transcripts or grade reports showing previous college work. These "unofficial" documents are reviewed by the program adviser, entered on a degree advisement form, and returned to the student. Students have the opportunity to see how their previous college work might meet the ASC requirements. The unofficial evaluation is subject to change based on the outcome of the official admission evaluation and acceptance of transfer credits by the Admissions Office.

Degree-seeking students have access to ASC faculty members via mail, e-mail, or fax or by calling the Extended Studies Office toll-free at 800-548-6679. Books may be purchased from the ASC bookstore via telephone, mail, or fax. All pertinent forms are located on the Extended Studies Web site.

Credit Options

For the bachelor's degrees, students may transfer in a maximum of 90 semester credits to ASC. The remaining 30 semester credits must be completed with ASC. Only 60 credits from community colleges may be applied to the degree. For the associate degree, students may transfer in a maximum of 45 semester credits, with the remaining 15 credits completed at ASC.

ASC participates in the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) (general or subject exams). Students who have performed satisfactorily in college-level courses before college entrance and have demonstrated a requisite achievement (minimum scores of 50th percentile) on tests of the College Board College-Level Examination Program may submit the results to ASC for consideration for college credit. The Records Office records the college credit based on determinations made by the appropriate school's department chair. The maximum credit on the general exams is 18 semester hours (in the areas of humanities, natural science, and social science). The semester hours of credit for each subject exam, as well as credit by examination in total, are determined by the appropriate school's dean.

Military and civilian training is also considered for credit. The chair of the academic department in which the degree is earned evaluates any military and civilian training and makes the decision as to how credit will be awarded. ASC uses the American Council on Education Guides for credit recommendations. Military service credit is processed when official documents or transcripts are received at ASC. Courses found in the American Council on Education Guide or on transcripts (CCAF, AARTS, SMART) can be evaluated. Locally conducted (base- or post-level) courses are generally not acceptable due to their unstructured and changing content.

Faculty

Approximately 65 percent of the faculty members in the Distance Degree Program have a Ph.D. and are full-time professors on campus at ASC. All professors have experience working with distance learners.

Admission

Transfer students with at least 12 transferable college credits are not required to submit ACT or SAT scores or their high school transcript but must submit the admission application, application fee, and official transcripts from all colleges previously attended. First-time freshman students must submit the program application fee, the application for admission, and high school transcripts with ACT or SAT scores. The Distance Degree Program application fee is $25. For admission and application information and details, students should visit http://exstudies.adams.edu/degree.html.

Tuition and Fees

Independent-study course tuition for undergraduate credit is $105 per semester hour; for graduate credit, it is $125 per semester hour. Tuition must be submitted with the registration for the course. Some courses may have additional fees for materials. For course details, applicants should see the specific course description at http://extudies.adams.edu/ind_study/independ.html.

Financial Aid

Currently, students admitted to the Distance Degree Program are eligible to apply for financial aid. Also, company-sponsored tuition and military tuition assistance programs may be used for ASC courses. Eligible military personnel should process DANTES applications through their education office.

Applying

Students can find course and degree application information, application and registration forms, and more answers to their questions by visiting the Extended Studies Web site.

CONTACT

Distance Degree Programs
Extended Studies
Adams State College
208 Edgemont Boulevard
Alamosa, Colorado 81102
Phone: 800-548-6679 (toll-free)
Fax: 719-587-7974
E-mail: ascexdeg@adams.edu
Web site: http://exstudies.adams.edu