Christian Distance Learning

Charter Oak State College was established in 1973 by the Connecticut Legislature to provide an alternative way for adults to earn associate and baccalaureate degrees. The College is accredited by the Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and functions under the degree-granting authority of Connecticut 's Board for State Academic Awards.

Charter Oak is a virtual college offering both online and video based courses. Students can also earn credits through:

• courses transferred from regionally accredited colleges and universities
• non-collegiate sponsored instruction
• standardized tests
• special assessment
• contract learning
• portfolio assessment

Students who matriculate at Charter Oak State College work with an Academic Counselor to create a personalized degree that takes into account their prior college experience, preferred method of earning credits, and future academic goals.

Degree requirements are satisfied in a variety of different ways. As a result, there is not a list of specific courses that every student must take. While this is different from what you would experience at a traditional college, it provides adult learners with additional flexibility as they work with their Academic Counselor to plan their degree program. All degree planning can be accomplished via e-mail, mail, phone and/or fax.

You may earn one of four general studies degrees offered at Charter Oak. The Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees require a minimum of 60 credits while the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees require at least 120 credits. Your degree plan will include courses to satisfy general education and liberal arts requirements. In addition, you will complete a concentration of at least 36 credits with a single or multidisciplinary approach for the Bachelor?s degree. The capstone to the Bachelor's degree is the Academic Autobiography.

How you earn credit is entirely up to you. Charter Oak recognizes that college-level learning can take place in a variety of settings. With no residency requirement, you may take advantage of any or all credit earning options. Charter Oak offers over 100 distance learning courses that may help satisfy your degree requirements. You may also take classroom or distance courses from other regionally accredited institutions, standardized exams, seek portfolio assessment for experiential learning or complete programs that have been evaluated as equivalent to college level learning. The College has evaluated many programs of instruction sponsored by corporations, proprietary schools, or volunteer and community organizations throughout the state through its Connecticut Credit Assessment Program (CCAP). Credit recommendations for programs evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the National Program on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction (National PONSI) are also accepted. In addition, certain licenses and certifications awarded by state or national agencies may yield credit through a special assessment.