Types of Classes
UA-PTC operates on the semester system with fall and spring semesters, two five-week summer sessions, and one eight-week extended summer session constituting an academic year.
Learning Community Courses
A learning community combines two or more courses in which the same students enroll in the same classes, and faculty combine specific homework and activities to assist students in reaching their academic goals. A learning community can also have a dedicated advisor who provides academic advice to students or a peer mentor who serves as a supplemental instruction leader. The goal of a learning community is to help students become engaged in their education. A learning community not only provides strong academic support from faculty but also offers social support from the other students who are enrolled in the learning community.
Learning Community courses are designed to be taken jointly with other linked courses and may not be taken separately. Students will be added to and/or dropped from linked learning community courses at the same time.
Online Courses
Online courses are designed to give students access to quality education at a convenient time and location. Online courses at UA - Pulaski Technical College are facilitated by instructors and follow the semester schedule’s beginning and ending dates. Students who wish to enroll in an online course must have access to a computer and an Internet service provider. They must also demonstrate ability in the following areas: using an Internet browser; navigating a website; using a word-processing program; saving, moving, deleting and attaching files; and e-mailing. In addition to technical requirements, students who would like to take an online course should be self-directed learners who have strong time management and communication skills. They should possess the self-discipline needed to follow a schedule and the flexibility needed to deal with computer problems should they arise. An updated, accurate e-mail address is mandatory. In some cases, oncampus presence is required for presentations or exams.
Online courses at UA-PTC are delivered through a variety of course management systems. These course management systems provide instructors and students with access to course content, assignments, discussion boards, mail, chat rooms, whiteboards, quizzes, and exams.
Some courses may require that the student purchase an access code in addition to the required textbook. Information about online courses is available on the college’s website. Because information changes each semester, be sure to access the most current information at www.uaptc.edu/online_courses/.
The term “hybrid” describes courses that are a combination of online and on-campus coursework. Students who take a hybrid course will be required to come to campus on the designated day(s) and at the designated time(s) for their course. The remainder of the course will be completed online.
Some online courses are delivered synchronously. Students attend these classes at a regularly scheduled time and participate from any Internet-connected computer. Webinars normally require that students have a computer headset with microphone.
Some UA - PTC courses are web enhanced. They meet in a classroom on a regular schedule but require the use of a course management system or course website.
The college provides a variety of ways to help online students get the information and assistance they need to be successful in class. Each semester, orientations are held for new online students the week before classes begin. For technical assistance with Blackboard, contact the help desk at OSS@uaptc.edu. All basic information about taking an online class is available at uaptc.edu/online.
Corequisite Courses
Corequisite courses require a student must take a course at the same time as (or prior to) another course or requirement. Knowing the information presented in the corequisite course is considered necessary in order for a student to be successful in the course. Corequisites will be enforced at registration. Corequisite courses are based on placement test scores.
Compressed (8-week) Courses
Compressed courses are courses provided in a shorter time frame. The curriculum and rigor in these courses are the same as in courses offered in the regular semester-long schedule.
Course Descriptions
*The courses listed below may have additional test scores that can be used for placement. Please see the Test Score Table on page 30.
Symbol Key
| Symbol |
Definition F |
Fall only |
|
| S |
Spring only |
|
|
| Su |
Summer only |
|
|
| N |
Night only |
|
|
| D |
Day only |
|
|
| O |
Course only offered online H |
Course only offered hybrid |
|
