ABOUT US Is the National Labor College accredited? Are you a four-year college? What degrees do you grant? What subjects can I major in at the NLC? Do I have to come to campus to attend classes? If I am enrolled in the BA program, can I still take classes online? How do National Labor College courses work? How do I use Blackboard? How long will it take to finish my degree? Does the National Labor College offer graduate degrees? ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS What credits do I need for admission to the National Labor College? Can I still take classes at NLC if I have less than 56 credits? How do I apply to the National Labor College? How do I register for classes? Re-Admittance Policy DEGREE REQUIREMENTS What is the Bachelor of Arts Degree? What are the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree? What is the Bachelor of Technical/Professional Studies Degree? What are the requirements for a Bachelor of Technical/ Professional Studies degree? TRANSFER CREDITS How do I know if my previous college work will be accepted as transfer credits by the National Labor College? I went to college over 20 years ago, are the credits still good? How can I find out how many of my credits will transfer? Can I get credit for CEUs (continuing education units)? Can I receive transcript credits for any licenses I possess? What if I already have the maximum number of transferable credits? How do I get official transcripts? Do you accept international transcripts? APPRENTICESHIP/ MILITARY Can I get credit for my apprenticeship training? How do I know if my apprenticeship has been ACE assessed? What if I have an apprenticeship or training that has not been assessed for academic credit? Is my training in the military is assessed for academic credit? UNION AND ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS I have taken various classes offered by my union. Do those count for credit? Can I take courses at other locations? PORTFOLIO CREDIT What is Experiential Learning? What is a portfolio? What subjects can I get credit for? Can I write experiential essays to meet any of the general education requirements? Is there a cost for Assessment of experiential credit? TUITION, FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION How much is tuition? Is there financial assistance available? Financial Aid and Scholarships Veterans’ Benefits Deferred Billing and Payment Plans 1 ABOUT US What degrees do you grant? We grant a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Bachelor of Technical/Professional Studies (BTPS). What subjects can I major in at the NLC? The Bachelor of Arts offers six majors: Labor Studies, Labor Education, Labor History, Labor Safety and Health, Political Economy of Labor, and Union Leadership and Administration. The Bachelor of Technical/Professional Studies degree does not offer majors, but instead offers areas of specialization, which currently Leadership, Instructional Technology and Computer Skills, Occupational Safety and Health, Music and Arts and Labor Studies. Are you a four-year college? We are licensed and accredited as an upper‐level‐degree completion institution; most of our courses in the degree programs are offered at the equivalent of the junior and senior year. This means that we are best suited for students who have already obtained some number of academic credits through study at other colleges or have earned credits through academically assessed apprenticeships or licensure programs or through military service. Is the National Labor College accredited? Yes. The accrediting body is the Middle State Commission on Higher Education, the unit of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that accredits degree‐granting colleges and universities in the Middle States region, located at 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (256) 284‐5000. To look us up on their site or for more information about how accreditation works and what it means, go to www.msche.org. Do I have to come to campus to attend classes? It depends on the program that you are enrolled in. There are in‐residence requirements for many of the classes in the Bachelor of Arts program. Most students in the BA program would likely need to attend at least one residency week, perhaps more depending upon the desired major and the need to complete the core curriculum. There is no residency requirement for students enrolled in the BTPS degree program. If I am enrolled in the BA program, can I still take classes online? Yes. Many students enrolled in the BA program complete coursework from our fully online classes. Students should consult with an advisor for information on specific classes and how they fit into their desired majors. How do National Labor College courses work? The National Labor College offer three semesters a year: fall, spring, and summer. BA courses are delivered in a blended format comprised of both online and face‐to‐ face instruction. The online portions of the class are delivered on through the Blackboard website. The semesters for both the BA and BTPS programs run concurrently for a period of 16 weeks (14 consecutive weeks of instruction followed by a 2 week reading and grading period). Students enrolled in low residency BA courses are required to attend the week‐in‐residence which is typically scheduled during the fourth week of the semester. What is the schedule during the week in residence? During the week‐in‐residence, courses run consecutively throughout the day during three time blocks: 8:00‐ 11:00 a.m.; 11:15 p.m.‐3:15 p.m. (with an hour lunch break) and 3:30 until 6:30 p.m. The first class session begins on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and is followed by two classes the following Sunday from 8:00 a.m.‐3:15 p.m. Classes run all day from 8:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8:00 a.m.‐3:15 p.m. on Friday. New students must attend the orientation at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. For reservations and room rates, please call 800-462-4237. 2 How do I use blackboard? The Blackboard system is the host server for all of NLCs’ online content. In order to use Blackboard you will need to create a username and password that is different from the one for IQ web. For details on how to use the Blackboard server log onto http://www.nlc.edu/bbsupport/studentmanual.htm. How long will it take to finish my degree? How long it takes largely depends on the number of credits that you are able to transfer in towards the 120 credits needed for a BA or BTPS degree. It will also depend on the rate at which you complete your coursework and the number of classes you take each semester. Students who take 2 or more courses every semester may be able to complete the 30 NLC in as little as a year or more depending upon their ability to complete the required coursework. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS What credits do I need for admission to the National Labor College? The Bachelor of Arts program requires the applicant have at least 56 credit hours to be fully admitted to a degree program. The Bachelor of Technical/Professional Studies (BTPS) program requires the applicant to have at least 45 credit hours to be fully admitted. Can I still take classes at NLC if I have less than 56 credits? Yes, anyone may take classes as a non‐degree student until they have earned enough credits to meet the requirements for admission. Many students are concurrently enrolled in community colleges, or apprenticeships while taking classes at NLC. The NLC is an upper‐division, degree completion institution and students are expected to perform academically at the level of a college junior or senior. While students may be able to earn credit for their prior learning through the NLC, many students find it helpful to complete their general education coursework requirements (i.e., English, Math, Science, Humanities, and Social Science) at their local community college. If you have questions about whether NLC’s upper‐level degree completion program is the best first step for you, contact the Academic Services Department at [email protected] to speak with a pre‐admissions advisor. How do I apply to the National Labor College? You can locate our application form on our website at www.nlc.edu and click on the IQWeb to set up a student account. Or, you may download a printed application from our website at http://www.nlc.edu/campusFacilities/registrarOffice.html and fax or mail it to us. In addition you will need to send the following information to our admissions department: • Proof of completion of high school degree or GED. • Copy of your union membership card, to be eligible for the AFL‐CIO subsidized tuition rate. • All transcripts from other colleges you have attended. (If you have served in the military, AARTS or SMARTS transcripts (see details under section on military transcripts) or a copy of your DD214.) • If you have completed an academically assessed apprenticeship program, send a copy of your Completion of Apprenticeship certificate, or ACE transcript, or community college transcript with your apprenticeship work on it. • If you have taken courses through any of our academic or union partnerships (see partnership discussion below), contact your union and/or academic institution to send your transcripts to the Registrar. For questions regarding admissions policies, the status of your application or how to set up your account on IQ web, contact Karen Banks at 301‐431‐5422 or [email protected]. 3 How do I register for classes? 1.