New England College is a small private college located in Henniker, N.H., about 20 minutes from Concord, the state capital, and 90 minutes from Boston, Mass. It offers 32 bachelor’s degrees, 13 master’s degrees, and one doctoral degree taught in the liberal arts tradition. About 1,900 students currently attend the school, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
The college’s online bachelor’s degree program has received recognition from U.S. News & World Report, which ranked NEC among the top schools for student engagement and assessment and student services and technology. The school has also been highlighted by The Princeton Review for its commitment to sustainability. It was included in the publication’s 2011 “Guide to 311 Green Colleges,” which highlighted institutions of higher education that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation. Read More
A select number of associate and bachelor’s degrees are offered through NEC’s online division. Programs are 100% online, and include liberal studies and business administration at the associate degree level, and business administration in one of four concentrations (accounting, computer science, management, and marketing) at the bachelor’s. Fewer credit hours are needed to graduate through these online programs, so students can finish the program faster than others. Students can take courses in any order they please, too, as long as they meet the prerequisites.
NEC’s virtual, interactive classroom is powered by University Alliance Online. Through the online platform, they can watch their instructors deliver lectures and course materials via streaming video or on CD-ROM. They can also pause, rewind and review any portion of the lecture so that they can completely understand the material before moving on. Lectures may also be downloaded as videos or MP3 files to their smartphone, iPod, or other mobile device to bring on the go.
The school’s online learning platform also helps students connect with their fellow classmates and teachers. They can interact in real time through live chat rooms, discussion boards, and email. For academic support, they are assigned a dedicated enrollment advisor. They can also find 24/7 IT support via phone, email, or live chat.