Hey! I’ve heard that the military offers online courses for college credits. Can anyone provide a bit more information about these? What do they cover, and are they well recognized by mainstream colleges?
Certainly, the U.S. military indeed offers opportunities for service members to earn college credits through online courses. The subjects of these courses can range from technical skills relevant to a specific role within the military, to general education topics.
One such program is the Joint Services Transcript (JST), which documents college credit earned through military training and experiences for army, navy, or marine service members. The courses often align with the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations, allowing colleges to recognize it. The credits can often be transferred to mainstream civilian colleges, though the exact number and kind of credits that various institutions will accept can vary.
The Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) offers associate degrees related to professional technical roles within the Air Force. These degrees are fully accredited and can be used as stepping stones to higher-level degrees.
The Army University Access Online (AARTS) program offers soldiers flexible online coursework that's integrated with their military assignments.
Meanwhile, the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), offers extensive educational support to U.S. military personnel worldwide, including distance learning programs which potentially open the door to college credits.
Additionally, almost all dedicated military universities, including the American Military University (AMU) and University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) offer fully online degrees recognized by colleges across the country.
The key thing to remember is that acceptance of such credits is subject to the policy of individual civilian colleges. Thus, it's good practice to reach out to the admissions offices of the colleges you're interested in to clarify their policy regarding such credits.
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