Online Schools & Colleges in Minnesota

First time students as well as adults transferring from other accredited postsecondary schools can enroll in fully or partially online classes at Hennepin Technical College. The college supports the Minnesota Online Qualitative Initiative. D2L Brightspace is the main portal through which Hennepin Technical teaches virtual classroom material. Data stored inside D2L Brightspace include class schedules, syllabuses, grades and course assignments. Full-time students should expect to spend six to nine hours a week studying and working on assignments for a single online course. To make sure that they are ready for distance education, the college offers adults a brief assessment quiz.

More than 25 study fields can be pursued from home or another location through Minnesota State Community and Technical College's virtual program. Degrees are in areas like business, accounting, computer programming, pharmacy technology and health information technology. Courses and degrees are fully accredited. Online applications are accepted. Other services that students can use online include tutoring, academic advisement and technical support. Although students can get print textbooks from the college bookstore, they can also check books out via the college's electronic library. Before enrolling in online classes, adults should ensure that they have at least six hours a week to devote to each class they take. They also need strong organization and time management skills.

Classes that are taught virtually at Minnesota West Community and Technical College resemble on campus classes. They are also equally as rigorous. Each course is assigned a dedicated instructor who teaches the course throughout the entire semester. Detailed information, including the days and times that classes are taught, is part of online course descriptions and outlines. Should students need technical support, they can contact the Online Help Desk. A reliable Internet connection is required to log into Desire2Learn Brightspace, the college's virtual training portal. It's recommended that new students take the non-credit Introduction to Online Learning orientation before they take their first class.

Online learning at Dakota County Technical College is for adults who want flexibility to complete credit and noncredit classes. Strong computer, Internet and time management skills are recommended. Academic departments that online degrees and other virtual classes are offered in include business management, health and human services, hospitality and education. Depending on their work experience, students could earn prior learning credits. To enroll in virtual classes, students log into D2L Brightspace. A login and password are required to access this self-service platform. Proctored exams are needed to finish some of the virtual classes.

Desire2Learn Brightspace and campus email are tools that Rochester Community and Technical College uses to administer its online classes through. Inside Desire2Learn Brightspace are class schedules, student grades, tuition assistance information and course descriptions. Adults can see which instructors teach certain classes while searching Desire2Learn. They also upload their finished assignments into the portal. Support resources that online learners can take advantage of include academic advisors, career counseling, an electronic library, bookstore and technical help desk. International Student Services is available to adults from other countries who are enrolled in fully online or hybrid programs.

Before adults enroll in online programs at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, it is recommended that they have at least six hours a week to complete school assignments and study for upcoming exams. The study and assignment completion time is generally needed for each three-credit course. New students must take an Accuplacer exam. School administrators use exam results to determine the level of classes that students are prepared for. Placement exams are conducted on campus at the MCTC Testing Center. A high school diploma or GED are required to get admitted into the college. Students are also required to attend orientation before they start taking virtual classes.

South Central College is part of the Minnesota Community and Technical College schools. The college's online courses operate on a semester basis and follow a similar schedule as the school's on campus classes. SmarterMeasure is a tool that allows adults to determine if they are ready to take and pass a distance education class. Administration of child care programs, child development, business, administrative office specialist, web programming and client relations are areas that online associate degrees and certificates are conferred in. There are also more than a dozen non-degree online courses at South Central College. Student resources include D2L, online tutoring, technical support and a virtual library.

Adults who seek undergraduate training in law enforcement, liberal arts or computer aided drafting and design could enroll in a two-year program at Ridgewater College. On campus and completely online options are available. Other training that is completely online leads to a certificate in study areas like early childhood special education, insurance claims and legal administration. When registering for virtual classes, students must indicate that they want the online delivery option. Applications are accepted online. Prospective students can also chat with an online representative to get answers to questions.

Saint Paul College continues to expand its digital academic and information offerings. Several classes are taught through the school's distance education platform. An Associate of Arts and an Associate of Science in Business Management degree can be earned without traveling to campus. Saint Paul College pushes its hybrid and fully online classes out to students via Desire2Learn Brightspace. Desire2Learn can be accessed with a computer or a mobile device. The college mobile app is compatible with Android and Apple mobile devices. Instructors and students communicate via Desire2Learn. The management system also houses tests scores, class assignments and course schedules.

Riverland Community College's online programs lead to two-year degrees, college credits and certificates. It takes about 60 credits to earn a two-year online degree. A certificate requires about 22 credits. Accounting, bookkeeping, social media marketing, web design and web developer are types of specialties that the degrees and certificates can be earned in. The college has articulation agreements with local accredited four year schools that allow students to transfer online college credits toward a bachelor's degree. Students taking a virtual class who do not have a personal computer can lease a laptop through Riverland's online learning and ITV unit.

At University of Minnesota at Twin Cities, students can pursue an education through the online programs and course offerings. With programs in education, health, engineering, and youth development, students can learn exciting and fulfilling skills and theory while they earn their undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates, and even doctorate degrees. UMTC also offers post-secondary online enrollment for high school students and free open courses through their partnership with Coursera. Open course fields include healthcare marketplace, HR management, user interface design, and recommender systems. UMTC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Getting a good career by taking online courses is possible at St. Catherine University, known as St. Kate's. The online courses offered at St. Kate's are tailored to working individuals who are juggling their education with time at work and personal life. The online graduate and certificate courses offered at St. Kate's focus on business, health management and liberal arts. The courses are offered fully online thus students do not need to attend on-campus lessons. They also offer hybrid lessons which require some on-campus instruction. Students can access all the necessary coursework from the school's online portal where they can view lectures and presentations. The online portal also facilitates group discussion with other students and instructors.

Bethel University designs its online courses with Christianity at its center. Programs are taught from a Christian perspective with the goal that graduates become grounded and community-oriented. The teaching programs are offered in both fully online and hybrid formats giving students flexibility to plan their schedule. Bethel offers online programs for undergraduate and graduate courses in areas including health, education and business administration. The school also offers online certificate programs in various theological topics. The university offers online seminary programs for individuals wanting to become active in community ministry. Bethel University prides itself in providing transformational learning to its students, in addition to educational higher learning.

As a religious school, Crossroads College offers specialized ministry programs in addition to its courses in liberal arts. Students can choose from online courses in ministry, business administration, general studies, music, and psychology. The school encourages the spiritual formation of its students, and its online programs are no different from its traditional classes by including biblical studies and theology requirements. The online programs offered by the school are delivered completely online, so students can learn at their own pace, at any location, and at any time. Students are provided login information to an online portal where they can access online instruction and join a virtual classroom.

Hamline University extends its reach to Minnesota students by offering courses online. The online courses are all accredited by a higher institution, making their quality similar to traditional on-campus courses. Students can enroll in online graduate and certificate courses in programs such as public administration, law, environment, and education. The courses cater to the needs of working professionals who want to improve their knowledge and further their career. While most of the programs can be completed fully online, a few programs require an in person practical component. Interested enrollees need to verify that they reside in an eligible state if they are currently residing outside of Minnesota.

The College of Saint Scholastica offers students the chance to take courses through online, virtual classrooms. Through this platform, students can interact with other students and professors through video and audio conferencing. The system allows students to record these sessions for easy review, as well as other digital learning options like polls, chat rooms, whiteboards and group work. Technical support is available to students at any time. Multimedia presentations and online discussions also help facilitate learning. Online students also have access to personal advisors to help chart a course plan, small class sizes, counseling, tutoring and students community organizations.

Concordia College at Moorhead facilitates its learning with offering individual online courses through the year. Many courses are offered in modules, and each module is due at the end of the week. Outside of that, students can access courses from anywhere or anytime. The online courses are designed to cover the same material as the in-person courses. Courses are offered through Moodle and augmented with other digital learning tools like textbook software. Other courses foster live online discussions with other students and teachers, and others require presenting final projects online.

Saint Cloud State University allows students to study online at anytime from anywhere. Students can major in real-world subjects like community psychology and criminal justice. They also have access to a number of online resources like library services and a campus technology store with technical help service. Students can interact with other students through two-way audio and video, and students can record and stream their classes. The D2L Brightspace system allows students to access web-based course software to help with their learning goals. Students take courses straight through the D2L Brightspace system. Students also have access to online tutors.

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota offers a nursing completion program and several master's programs that are hosted fully online. Students can learn from anywhere they have internet access. Students in the school's online degree programs get an iPad as part of the program so that they can easily access the program at all times. The courses can be accessed directly online with a single click. Courses are guided through interactive exercise, as well. These courses also present real-world case studies to help cement learning. The digital platform allows students to connect to faculty and other students at all times.

Saint John's University prides itself on keeping its teaching and learning benchmarks in tact in the online learning environment. The learning environments are geared to be totally interactive. Online courses have discussion boards with regular assignments, allowing students to access these assignments on their schedule. Class sizes are kept small even online so students have quality interaction with faculty. Students have access to support from the campus technology personnel. The online programs allow students to major in several theology-based master's topics.