{"id":12916,"date":"2020-05-08T10:04:19","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T16:04:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/?p=12916"},"modified":"2020-07-10T13:45:32","modified_gmt":"2020-07-10T19:45:32","slug":"an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"An Insider\u2019s Guide to Non-traditional Academic Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Enrolling in an academic program used to mean sitting in a classroom on campus while a professor lectured to a room filled with students. A student\u2019s physical attendance was required for classes, and degree programs followed the semester or trimester course model, which required years of hard work for a student to complete a degree.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But nowadays, students have more options regarding higher education. Technology has made online learning a viable option for many <\/span>adult learners<\/span><\/a> seeking non-traditional academic programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A non-traditional program is generally designed for students with a few extra responsibilities on their plate, including full-time jobs or raising children. Non-traditional academic programs utilize various methods, including blended learning and accelerated timeframes to help students finish their programs efficiently and quickly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re considering enrolling in a non-traditional academic program, you\u2019ll need to be familiar with the terminology used by college officials. We\u2019ve assembled a glossary of terms to help you decode information used when describing your non-traditional program of choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Glossary of Terms\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Accelerated\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Accelerated<\/span><\/a> learning programs require students to grasp academic concepts quickly, as they progress through content on a speedy timeline. Students in non-traditional programs may encounter accelerated courses or <\/span>degree programs<\/span><\/a> throughout their academic journey.<\/span><\/p>\n

ACCUPLACER<\/b><\/p>\n

ACCUPLACER<\/span><\/a> is a series of tests that evaluate a student\u2019s preparedness for college-level courses. Using computer-adaptive technology, students are tested on their skills in three areas: mathematics, reading, and writing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Asynchronous learning<\/b><\/p>\n

Students enrolled in <\/span>online courses<\/span><\/a> may have the option to complete assignments through an asynchronous learning model. Asynchronous courses are self-paced, allowing students to learn on their own schedule through the use of self-guided lesson modules and discussion board conversations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blended learning<\/b><\/p>\n

Academic programs that utilize both online and in-person components are referred to as blended learning. Also known as hybrid programs, blended learning programs provide the student with the flexibility to complete some coursework remotely while also partially attending traditional in-person classes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Certificate program<\/b><\/p>\n

Certificate programs<\/span><\/a> are narrow in focus, and provide students with professional skills that can be applied to their jobs immediately. Certificate programs tend to be less expensive than graduate degree programs, and can be completed faster \u2014 as they require less credits for completion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Course management system<\/b><\/p>\n

A course management system refers to the software needed to foster a centralized online learning environment. Course materials such as syllabi, discussion boards, and assignments will reside in a course management system for online courses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dual enrollment<\/b><\/p>\n

Dual enrollment applies to students who are enrolled in two academic degree programs or institutions simultaneously. Also known as concurrent enrollment, students must be admitted to each program separately before achieving dual enrollment status.<\/span><\/p>\n

Executive education<\/b><\/p>\n

Academic graduate programs geared toward working professionals looking to advance their careers are often known as <\/span>executive education<\/span><\/a> programs. These programs can be broad, like an Executive MBA, or industry specific.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hybrid<\/b><\/p>\n

Similar to blended learning, hybrid learning programs contain a mixture of online and face-to-face class components.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior learning credit<\/b><\/p>\n

Some academic programs will award college credit to students for professional experience or technical knowledge, a transaction known as prior learning credit. Students with significant work experience and <\/span>military servicemembers<\/span><\/a> are common recipients of prior learning credit. Prior learning credit saves you time and money by applying previously acquired skills to a degree program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remote proctoring<\/b><\/p>\n

Remote proctoring allows a student to take an exam from a remote location without compromising the integrity of the exam. Remote proctors are trained to use methods, including video monitoring, to verify the identity of the student and prevent cheating during the exam.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Standardized testing<\/b><\/p>\n

A standardized test requires all students to answer the same questions in a controlled testing environment. Credit by exam programs like <\/span>CLEP<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>DSST<\/span><\/a> in addition to <\/span>entrance exams <\/span><\/a>like the <\/span>GMAT<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>NCLEX<\/span><\/a> all fall under the standardized test umbrella.<\/span><\/p>\n

Transfer articulation<\/b><\/p>\n

The process of comparing course content between a required course and a previously completed course is known as transfer articulation. College officials will evaluate the curriculum and learning targets of the transfer course to evaluate whether the student has satisfied the requirements of the curriculum.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vocational education<\/b><\/p>\n

Vocational education programs provide students with technical knowledge needed to excel in a designated career path. Examples of vocational fields include healthcare (<\/span>pharmacy technicians<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>nursing aides<\/span><\/a>), emergency medical technicians (<\/span>parademics<\/span><\/a>), cosmetologists, and electricians.<\/span><\/p>\n

Need help finding the right degree program for you? Check out Peterson\u2019s College Discovery Center for our top picks in categories like <\/span><\/i>accelerated degree programs<\/span><\/i><\/a>, <\/span><\/i>business schools<\/span><\/i><\/a>, and more.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Enrolling in an academic program used to mean sitting in a classroom on campus while a professor lectured to a room filled with students. A student\u2019s physical attendance was required for classes, and degree programs followed the semester or trimester course model, which required years of hard work for a student to complete a degree.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":12917,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3922,3],"tags":[3851,3739,4281,4648,4280,980,646],"class_list":{"0":"post-12916","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-adult-learner","8":"category-colleges","9":"tag-accelerated-degree-program","10":"tag-adult-learner","11":"tag-blended-learning","12":"tag-featured-home-page","13":"tag-non-traditional","14":"tag-online-degree","15":"tag-online-learning","16":"ad_tags-adult-learner","17":"ad_tags-featured","18":"ad_tags-online-learning"},"better_featured_image":{"id":12917,"alt_text":"female student enrolled in a non-traditional academic program","caption":"High angle shot of an unrecognizable female student using her laptop while sitting outside on campus","description":"","media_type":"image","media_details":{"width":1243,"height":844,"file":"2020\/05\/iStock-1134264053.jpg","sizes":{"medium":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-300x204.jpg","width":300,"height":204,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-300x204.jpg"},"large":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-1024x695.jpg","width":1024,"height":695,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-1024x695.jpg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-150x150.jpg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-270x180.jpg","width":270,"height":180,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-270x180.jpg"},"contentberg-main":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-770x515.jpg","width":770,"height":515,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-770x515.jpg"},"contentberg-main-full":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-1170x508.jpg","width":1170,"height":508,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-1170x508.jpg"},"contentberg-slider-stylish":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-900x515.jpg","width":900,"height":515,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-900x515.jpg"},"contentberg-slider-carousel":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-370x370.jpg","width":370,"height":370,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-370x370.jpg"},"contentberg-slider-grid-b":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-554x466.jpg","width":554,"height":466,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-554x466.jpg"},"contentberg-slider-grid-b-sm":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-306x466.jpg","width":306,"height":466,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-306x466.jpg"},"contentberg-slider-bold-sm":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-150x150.jpg"},"contentberg-grid":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-370x245.jpg","width":370,"height":245,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-370x245.jpg"},"contentberg-list":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-260x200.jpg","width":260,"height":200,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-260x200.jpg"},"contentberg-list-b":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-370x305.jpg","width":370,"height":305,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-370x305.jpg"},"contentberg-thumb":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-87x67.jpg","width":87,"height":67,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-87x67.jpg"},"contentberg-thumb-alt":{"file":"iStock-1134264053-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053-150x150.jpg"}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"Getty Images","camera":"NIKON D810","caption":"High angle shot of an unrecognizable female student using her laptop while sitting outside on campus","created_timestamp":"1510852540","copyright":"www.peopleimages.com (www.peopleimages.com (Photographer) - [None]","focal_length":"35","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.005","title":"Using online resources to complete university projects","orientation":"1","keywords":["young adult,people,casual clothing,sitting,women,females,lifesty"]}},"post":12916,"source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053.jpg"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAn Insider\u2019s Guide to Non-traditional Academic Programs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Familiarize yourself with terminology used by college officials by reviewing Peterson's guide to non-traditional academic programs. Read more!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"An Insider\u2019s Guide to Non-traditional Academic Programs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Familiarize yourself with terminology used by college officials by reviewing Peterson's guide to non-traditional academic programs. Read more!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Peterson's\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/petersons\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-08T16:04:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-07-10T19:45:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1243\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"844\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jaclyn Walsh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Petersons\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Petersons\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jaclyn Walsh\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"An Insider\u2019s Guide to Non-traditional Academic Programs","description":"Familiarize yourself with terminology used by college officials by reviewing Peterson's guide to non-traditional academic programs. Read more!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"An Insider\u2019s Guide to Non-traditional Academic Programs","og_description":"Familiarize yourself with terminology used by college officials by reviewing Peterson's guide to non-traditional academic programs. Read more!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/","og_site_name":"Peterson's","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/petersons","article_published_time":"2020-05-08T16:04:19+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-07-10T19:45:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1243,"height":844,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jaclyn Walsh","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Petersons","twitter_site":"@Petersons","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jaclyn Walsh","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/"},"author":{"name":"Jaclyn Walsh","@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4443ff55d3e59fda2ae9884f88010a62"},"headline":"An Insider\u2019s Guide to Non-traditional Academic Programs","datePublished":"2020-05-08T16:04:19+00:00","dateModified":"2020-07-10T19:45:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/"},"wordCount":757,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053.jpg","keywords":["accelerated degree program","adult learner","blended learning","featured-home-page","non-traditional","Online degree","online learning"],"articleSection":["Adult Learner","Colleges"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/","url":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/","name":"An Insider\u2019s Guide to Non-traditional Academic Programs","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053.jpg","datePublished":"2020-05-08T16:04:19+00:00","dateModified":"2020-07-10T19:45:32+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4443ff55d3e59fda2ae9884f88010a62"},"description":"Familiarize yourself with terminology used by college officials by reviewing Peterson's guide to non-traditional academic programs. Read more!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/08095744\/iStock-1134264053.jpg","width":1243,"height":844,"caption":"High angle shot of an unrecognizable female student using her laptop while sitting outside on campus"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-insiders-guide-to-non-traditional-academic-programs\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Adult Learner","item":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/category\/adult-learner\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"An Insider\u2019s Guide to Non-traditional Academic Programs"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/","name":"Peterson's","description":"Peterson's helps students discover their best fit educational program","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4443ff55d3e59fda2ae9884f88010a62","name":"Jaclyn Walsh","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3bc93783112e610e1a2714225febcf5795d3f68585fd283a8fcc2211d7c3cb68?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3bc93783112e610e1a2714225febcf5795d3f68585fd283a8fcc2211d7c3cb68?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3bc93783112e610e1a2714225febcf5795d3f68585fd283a8fcc2211d7c3cb68?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jaclyn Walsh"},"url":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/author\/jaclyn\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12916"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12916\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12918,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12916\/revisions\/12918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}