Tulsa Community College is the largest two-year college in Oklahoma. It operates from four campuses and serves some 27,000 students every year in college credit courses and an additional 5,000 in corporate training and continuing education classes.

The college provides higher education to more students in northeastern Oklahoma than any other public higher education institution. It offers students individualized education in small classes, with an 18:1 student to faculty ratio. Its tuition and fees are almost half those of public universities.

Tulsa Community College has more than 7,000 enrolments in online and distance learning courses, making it the leader in online education in Oklahoma. Students can easily transfer credits for seamless baccalaureate degrees.

Collaboration and transfer agreements are in place with many institutions, including Oklahoma State University, The University of Oklahoma, Northeastern State University, The University of Tulsa and The Phoenix University.

Accreditation

Tulsa Community College is accredited by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission. It is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges and the North Central Council of Two-Year Colleges. It is approved by the federal government to offer education under the Veterans and Social Security laws.

Some of the programs offered by the college have accreditation approval from other agencies and organizations.

The distance learning courses are fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Distance learning

Tulsa Community College offers about 30 degrees and certificates that are available entirely through the distance learning environment. Distance learning courses are ideal for non-traditional adult learners, who want to acquire a recognized qualification from an accredited institution. Distance learning allows them study at their convenience and to get a degree that adds value to their career portfolios.

Online courses are offered via the Internet by means of the Blackboard Course Management System (CMS). Instruction is provided through the Internet, CD-ROM (if applicable) and text book materials. To take a course, students need Internet access, a valid e-mail address and hardware and software that meet the minimum requirements.

Telecourses are video-based courses that are offered on Tulsa Cox Cable Channel 21 or via streaming video on the Web. Instructors communicate with students via e-mail, telephone and/or postal services. The videos are supplemented by study guides and text books. Students have to visit the Metro Campus to take exams.

Interactive Television courses (ITV) are campus-based courses that are offered through compressed two-way video. The student is required to be present in a particular location at a set time. The instructor may be present at that location or may teach from a remote location. The format is very similar to classroom instruction.

An accredited course from the Tulsa Community College can help you to add a recognized qualification to your career portfolio and you can choose from a wide range of on-campus and distance learning programs.

It’s not news to anyone that college costs are skyrocketing. The average cost of one year at a private college or university has risen to a shocking $31,465. It’s no wonder that parents and students look at that number and wonder whether a college degree is in their reach at all. However, many families overlook the tremendous costs savings that could be achieved by attending a community college for two years. Tuition at community college is typically half that of a public institution and just one-tenth that of a private institution.

For many years, community colleges fought the image that they were the last resort for students who couldn’t get in anywhere else and that their programs were not as challenging or comprehensive and those at larger colleges universities. Today, however, community colleges are thriving centers that not only provide state-of-the-art career education, but also provide a high-quality educational foundation for students who wish to transfer to a college or university after two years.

Because most colleges and universities, regardless of size, require students to take core courses in their first two years before choosing a major, taking these courses at the community college level will save money. Additionally, core courses at the university level are often held in large lecture halls with hundreds of students. At community colleges, class sizes rarely exceed 30 students. So, paradoxically, community college students receive more individualized attention yet pay much less for that privilege.

Instructors at the community college level are required to hold a Master’s degree in their instructional area. Some have pointed to this as evidence that community colleges cannot provide the same quality of instruction as colleges and universities that employ professors with Doctoral degrees. However, very few of those professors actually teach the core courses that students take during their first two years of college. Additionally, community college instructors often have real-world employment experience that gives them a more practical perspective than university professors, who are immersed in the world of academia.

Transferring to a larger institution at the end of two years at community college is often easier than being admitted as a Freshman. Also, many states guarantee admission to their state colleges and universities to community college graduates who maintain a certain grade point average. Even prestigious Ivy League colleges like Harvard, Yale and Brown have accepted transfer students from community colleges.