Northern Virginia Community College to Offer Fridays-Only Degree Program This Fall

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) students will have an opportunity to enroll in a new Fridays-only degree program at the Annandale campus beginning this fall.

The program, which starts in August, is for “students who are seeking a flexible and convenient option toward achieving an associate degree,” the school says.

“NOVA continues to look for innovative ways to ensure that all of our students are able to achieve their academic goals,” Dr. Barbara Saperstone, provost of the Annandale Campus, said in a statement. “We are excited to be offering this new program, which is designed for students who have work or family obligations and need flexibility when pursuing their degree.”

Northern Virginia Community College students enrolled at the Annandale campus come from all around the region, including from Burke.

Students enrolled in the program would attend in-person classes once a week on Fridays and take online courses through the college’s Extended Learning Institute (ELI). The material will be the same as the material covered in regular semester classes and meet the graduation requirements for the associate of science degree in general studies.

The college has been working to promote the college’s distance learning programs in the past few years.

The Annandale campus saw a 7.16 percent increase in "face to face" students — those who meet in a physical classroom — from 2009-2012. But enrollment decreased from 2011-2012, according to school officials. 

Meanwhile, there was a 40.3 percent increase in distance learning, or virtual, classes from 2009-2012. 

The tuition for the Fridays-only degree will be the same as NOVA’s regular tuition. According to the college’s website, tuition for Virginia residents is $153.25 per credit hour.

Interested students can register now for the fall semester and contact Marc Robinson at 703-425-5260 or mrobinson@nvcc.edu for the Fridays-only degree program.