Best Online Vocational & Trade Schools

Students can choose from over 30 career-oriented programs at East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) through the Career-Technical Division, which may lead to either a certificate or an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree. The curriculum will vary, depending on the program chosen, but an AAS degree program at EMCC typically consists of electives, academic classes and courses specific to the occupation, providing a mix of lab, lecture and hands-on experience. Technical and vocational certificates are offered through stand-alone programs, or by completing part of an AAS degree program. Examples of programs offered are cosmetology, nursing, welding and funeral service. EMCC also offers online courses, through EMCC’s eLearning Department.

San Juan College (SJC) offers over 119 degree programs, including several certificate and Associate in Applied Science degree vocational programs, such as drafting, cosmetology and fire science. These programs take about one to two years to complete, with day, night and part-time options available. SJC also offers online programs in occupational safety, health information technology, medical coding and billing, veterinary technology and physical therapy assistant. SJC students have access to other online programs through Sun Path, a consortium of New Mexico public colleges. Although SJC is a two-year college, students can also earn bachelor’s or master’s degrees on-campus through several partnered state universities.

Hutchinson Community College (HCC) is a two-year college with over 75 majors and 250 online courses. HCC also offers several completely online degree and certificate programs, such as criminal justice, health information management, pharmacy technician and paralegal. These online programs are designed to provide flexibility, taking into account a student’s needs and obligations. Some online programs offer both a certificate or associate degree option, with a curriculum consisting of specific career-oriented courses and electives, plus general education requirements for associate degrees. In addition to online degrees, HCC has a wide variety of on-campus degree programs, with online course options.

New Mexico Junior College (NMJC) has several online educational opportunities, including certificate and associate degree programs, hybrid courses, and individual online courses, for those wishing to take general education or pre-requisites online. NMJC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to offer these programs, and degree plans offered by the school are typically AA or AS degrees, although some AAS degree plans are available. The Criminal Justice program is an example of a completely online degree offered by NMJC. This is a full-time program, taking about two years to complete. The curriculum contains a mix of general education, department specific credits, and electives in the student’s area of interest.

Tulsa Community College (TCC), the largest community college in Oklahoma, offers a wide variety of career-oriented certificate and degree programs, including online options. Some of the online programs offered at TCC include accounting, marketing, information technology and hospitality management. For students needing more face time with instructors, blended courses are available, which combine online coursework with campus visits. TCC has articulation agreements with several four-year Oklahoma universities, and many of the online degree programs are considered eligible for transfer. Online students stay connected through Blackboard, the online course management system, and can get technical help through Call2000, TCC’s help desk and IT support system.

Crowder College Career Institute (CCCI) is a two-year community college with several career-focused certificate and degree programs through various divisions, which include Career and Technical, Business and Allied Health. Certificate programs typically take a year to complete, and associate degrees take about two years, due to general education requirements. Students have the option of on-campus, hybrid and online courses, and several completely online associate degrees are also available. Automotive, accounting, drafting and nursing are a few examples of programs offered at CCCI. Less traditional options include energy efficient building and solar and wind power, offered through the MARET Center, Missouri’s designated renewable energy education center.

Barton Community College offers several online educational opportunities through BARTonline, the college’s virtual campus. In addition to general education and college transfer programs, BARTonline has several online career programs in areas such as business, computers, education, health professions and public safety, corrections and security. Depending on a student’s career goals, certificates and associate degrees are available. Online programs provide access to courses when convenient for the student, with a weekly schedule of assignments to follow. Some programs require students to obtain internships, field experience or clinical time to fulfill degree requirements and to provide real world experience prior to graduation.

Metropolitan Community College (MCC) is the largest public higher learning institution in Kansas City, with five campuses and over 130 degree and certificate programs, including vocational certificate and degree programs. These programs take between one and two years to complete, with full-time and part-time options. In addition to on-campus classes, MCC has several alternative educational opportunities, such as online and hybrid courses. Online courses are structured similarly to other classes, with assignments due weekly. Students may take part in streaming online lectures via the internet or television. Students can obtain pre-requisite, general education and degree specific courses required for a certificate or associate degree online.

Seward County Community College (SCCC) has several online degree options offered through Edukan, a collaborative effort between six western Kansas community colleges that allows SCCC students to earn Associate in Science (AS) degrees through any of the colleges in the group. SCCC also has online degree plans for applied science degrees, which allow students in two-year vocational degree programs to take several required classes online, along with earning their required practicum or internship hours. For example, several medical, computer information technology and criminal justice degree courses are available online that will count towards an AAS degree, and may be transferable to a four-year college.

State Fair Community College (SFCC) has over 260 online courses, along with a few completely online degree and certificate programs. In addition to AA degrees, students can earn online career-focused professional certificates or AAS degrees, which prepare students for employment upon graduation. Examples include certificate and degree programs in medical assisting and a business management degree program. SFCC also has several career-oriented programs in hybrid format, allowing students to experience face-to-face classroom time with the flexibility of online courses. Air Force personnel can complete their Community College of the Air Force general education degree requirements online through SFCC’s General Education Mobile (GEM) program.