Overview
Thomas Edison Offers Higher Education for Mature Adult Learners
Thomas Edison State College is designed to provide academic degree programs to adult students wherever they live and work. The flexible learning methods available for students range from online courses and credit transfers to prior learning assessments and exams. The college offers undergraduate and graduate programs in more than 100 areas of study, as well as professional certificates tailored to the specific needs of adults. Applicants younger than age 21 may be accepted into an undergraduate program in some cases, or if they are part of a special population such as a member of the U.S. military. Thomas Edison State College has been named one of the country's best schools for military personnel and veterans.
Distance Learning Brings the Value of a State College to Students Wherever They Are
The flexibility of distance learning - completing course work and earning a degree online - makes it easier for adult learners with busy lives and demanding schedules to return to college to complete an undergraduate degree or expand professional options with a graduate degree. Students can work at their own pace, taking one course at a time or as many as their schedule allows. Course credits can be transferred or earned by demonstrating college-level knowledge attained through testing or prior learning assessment courses. Guided Study courses allow students to receive course materials through the mail and complete the course work independently. Students do not have to attend class at a specific place and time; classes can be completed according to whatever schedule best suits a student's lifestyle.
FlashTrack Courses Bring Distance Learning to Students without Internet Access
Students do not need access to an Internet connection at all times in order to work on their degree programs. FlashTrack courses are stored on single two-gigabyte flash drives, and contain the same functionality and structure of the online Thomas Edison State College courses. FlashTrack courses can be accessed and used on any computer that has a USB port. Work and backups can be saved to the same flash drives, and the flash drives can be transferred among as many computers as needed. FlashTrack courses contain all course materials in addition to the software necessary for word processing; creating spreadsheets; viewing PDF files and photos; working with e-mail, and using web utilities. Students only need to plug the flash drive into the USB port of a computer, and they are ready to begin their academic journey.
Five Schools Offer a Wide Range of Academic Programs for Adult Students at Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison State College's five schools offer students a wide variety of academic programs for pursuing associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees, in addition to numerous undergraduate, graduate, and non-certificate programs. The School of Applied Science and Technology provides programs that meet the needs of students working in environments that benefit from technical knowledge, practical knowledge, and applied skills. The Heavin School of Arts and Sciences offers an interdisciplinary approach to adult learners interested in the liberal arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, in addition to degree programs in the human services. The School of Nursing offers flexible, self-paced RN-B.S.N. programs accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. The curriculum of the School of Business and Management encompasses a broad spectrum of academic and professional areas of current business and management issues. The John S. Watson School of Public Service and Continuing Studies offers a wide variety of programs for attaining professional certification covering areas such as early childhood education, nonprofit management, public policy analysis, environmental justice, and many others.
Students Can Get Credit for Prior Learning Experiences
Adult learners may have acquired college-level knowledge without ever attending college. To accommodate such students, Thomas Edison State College offers a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) program to assess knowledge acquired outside the classroom. Using PLA, students can demonstrate that they possess college-level knowledge that has been acquired through work, volunteer services, or other interactions that took place outside of a classroom. A mentor who is an expert in the subject works with the student to create an electronic portfolio documenting the student's expertise in the subject. The college offers more than seventy PLA courses, and students can develop an individualized PLA course if no standard PLA course exists in the subject they wish to earn credit for.
