Welcome to Albany Technical College’s (ATC) Distance Learning Program

Our distance learning program opportunities provide you with the avenues to further your education from the comfort of your home while you Learn It Online!

We understand that not all students are able to attend classes on campus. Our online courses are designed to meet the needs of all students who seek a quality education as they continue to work and take care of family obligations. In addition to 30 fully online programs, we also offer online courses to meet the needs of the students who are interested in blended learning – the ability to take a course online as well as on campus. We are here to help you with your busy schedule needs.

Is Online Learning for Me?

Prior to registering for any distance education course, each student should make sure that this method of instruction fits his or her learning style. Some people learn best by interacting face to face with the instructor and other students. To be successful in distance education courses, an online student should be self-motivated and be able to work well independently.

All students taking distance education courses are required to complete the SmarterMeasure Distance Learning Readiness Assessment. The SmarterMeasure Assessment takes 25 minutes to complete and includes five major assessment components that measure the following skills:

  • Reading comprehension
  • Technical competency
  • Individual attributes
  • Preferred learning style
  • Typing speed and accuracy

The scores from the assessment will not prohibit a student from applying for a distance education course.

STUDENT TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

The following computer skills are needed prior to taking online courses through ATC. Students are responsible for assessing their own skill levels. If a student does not possess these skills, he or she may want to consider taking on-campus classes. Online instructors will not be teaching these skills.

Basic Skills

  • Be familiar with the operating system of the computer being used for class
  • Understand terms such as mouse, drag, open, launch, select, file, choose, double-click, download, upload, send, and so on
  • Save, copy, and find files/folders on external storage and hard drives
  • Download/upload files

Web Browser Skills

  • Go to a specific URL
  • Print a page
  • Follow a hypertext link
  • Conduct a basic search using a search engine

Word Processor Skills

  • Open a new or existing file
  • Save a file
  • Rename a file (Save As)
  • Print a document