Beginning Fall 2021 term, students can earn an Associate in Science or an Associate in Arts Degree completely online. Dr. Lawrence Brandyburg, Interim President of Bishop State, says, “At Bishop State, we are committed to ensuring the success of our students. The COVID-19 pandemic challenged institutions of higher education and transformed how students view their options. Over the last year, we have worked to meet the needs of our students by providing multiple course format options. We are excited to now offer students who can’t come to campus the opportunity to earn a degree entirely online.”
Click to Download AA and AS Degree Map
Roderick McSwain, Dean of Instruction, explains that the College has plans to expand the online degree and certificate opportunities. “Residents of Mobile and Washington counties need training and access to higher education available in an online format without having to pay the exorbitant costs normally charged by online colleges. We are currently assessing our programs and course offerings and developing degree maps to provide clear paths to degree and certificate attainment. Students will be able to get the education and training they need online and not incur the added cost of transportation, housing, and inflated tuition.”
In the last year, the College has demonstrated its commitment to online education. The College has employed a Director of Distance Education and a Distance Education Technician to facilitate online course development and ensure rapid response to student helpdesk inquiries. Nearly 50% of faculty have completed Quality Matters and various other training to update both their technical and pedagogical skills for teaching online. The College will continue to use Canvas as its learning management system (LMS), but students will see some new features in the fall including the addition of Canvas Studio which will allow students and faculty to interact via video without leaving the LMS environment. Contact Ginger Glass (gglass@bishop.edu) or Dr. Stephen Onukwuli (sonukwuli@bishop.edu) if you have questions about Distance Education courses and programs.
For more information about how to apply and register for classes, visit the Bishop State Community College Registration webpage. The Fall 2021 Schedule is available online and registration is open.