North Virginia Community College - Job Oriented Education for Rapid Career Growth

North Virginia Community College is the largest institution of higher education in Virginia and the second largest community college in the United States. It has six campuses and an Extended Learning Institute. Two new education centers opened in Reston and in Arlington in Spring 2006.

NVCC, one of the most internationally diverse colleges in the USA, serving over 60,000 credit students from over 150 countries. Over 160 degree and certificate programs are offered at this school. Graduating students transfer to universities across the United States.

Associate Degree programs include popular courses like Biotechnology, Business, Communication Design, Computer Science, Engineering, Hospitality Management, Music, Science and Technology, Semi Conductor Lab Processes, Teacher Education, Web Design and a wide range of health technologies.

Classes are small to ensure dedicated teaching and personal attention to students. Moreover, the students are expected to benefit from its location in the nation's capital offering a vibrant cultural environment. Best of all, NVCC claims to have the lowest tuition among schools in the Washington area.

Accreditation

North Virginia Community College is accredited by the Commisssion on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate degrees and Certificates in selected areas.

While Curricula of the College are approved by the NVCC and the State Board, its two-year Associate degree programs are approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

The specialized Curricula of the College like Allied Health and Nursing Programs, the Culinary Arts Certificate, the Legal Assisting Program, and the Veterinary Technology Program are accredited by specialized accrediting organizations.

As one of the 23 Colleges included in the Virginia Community College System, NVCC is governed by the Virginia State Board for Community Colleges.

Distance learning

The Extended Learning Institute (ELI), a part of North Virginia Community College has been functioning since 1975. It provides home study instruction using electronic media. ELI offers 120 classes every semester to 3,600 students using electronic media. Three degree programs are offered totally at a distance.

ELI uses the Internet as a resource and as a means of communicating between students and instructors in 26 classes. All of these classes are asynchronous and interactive.

Approximately 75 classes at NVCC, listed through Nova-On-Line use the web for instruction, either in part as a supplement or wholly. Printed courseware developed for ELI (not available on the web) are available through computer and voice mail conferencing systems, audio tapes and video tapes.

Approximately ten real time (synchronous) classes, each semester are offered through compressed video, throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia to participating Community Colleges.

North Virginia Community College offers a large number of occupational and job-oriented programs directly or through Virginia Distance Education Network to cater to the needs of people who are hard pressed for time and are looking forward rapid growth in their career path.