Online Programs

Ready when you are! Penn Highlands Online offers a flexible learning opportunity that can fit your mobile, on-the-go lifestyle. Our courses and programs are designed to help you enter the workforce, update your skills, or transfer on to complete a four-year degree.

Online Programs

Non-credit Courses and Programs

Penn Highlands offers a variety of non-credit online career training programs that are designed to provide the skills necessary to pursue a rewarding career. We bring you top-notch courses designed and instructed by experts in their respective fields.

• Student Resources

  We have the resources you need to be successful. As a Pennsylvania Highlands Community College student in our Online Campus, you will have access to the same student resources as our on-campus students. Below is a list of Student Resources that will help you through your educational journey.

  Learning Management System

  Our Learning Management System makes it possible for online courses, and it enhances face-to-face and hybrid learning.

  • Access Brightspace

  Student Portal

  The College uses the myPEAK portal for students to access information about their schedules, advisors, faculty, grades, and technical support. All students will receive a username and password to access the portal after they apply for admission to the College.

  Email

  Each student is provided an email account that they will need to check regularly. To access your email account, please click here.

  Your email address is your myPEAK username followed by @pennhighlands.edu. Your email password is the same as your myPEAK password. To access your email, please enter your proper username and password, then click OK. If you have any problems with accessing your email, contact the College’s Help Desk.

  Financial Aid

  Financial Aid is available for those students who qualify. The College offers Federal Financial Aid programs such as PELL Grants and the Stafford Load program as well as Pennsylvania State Grants. Online students are highly encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) so that the Penn Highlands Financial Aid Office can begin the process of determining aid eligibility.

  Mangarella Library

  The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Mangarella Library offers a wide selection of online databases, ebooks, and support services for the student learner. Online services such as Smarthinking, a 24 hour tutoring service is available on the Library’s Student Resources page. Students may also take advantage of the Library’s mobile app to access materials from an Apple or Android device. Librarian assistance is available 24/7 and the Library provides access to many customized YouTube videos to help students with searching the online databases or putting citations into papers.

  Bookstore

  The College’s Bookstore offers a wide variety of online textbooks and can have books delivered directly to students, click here to access.

  Higher Education & Opportunity Act

  The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 requires that institutions offering online courses must secure those courses behind a password system to ensure that tests and other graded assignments are being taken by the actual student enrolled in the course. Pennsylvania Highlands Community College complies with this law by having all of our assignments take place within the password-protected confines of our online systems. The College provides a unique login and password to each student that provides for access to all college electronic systems.

• Frequently Asked Questions

  Do you have the necessary equipment?

  Online courses are delivered via the Internet. You will need frequent access to an internet accessible computer to complete your coursework. In addition, many online students like to print assignments, instructions, study materials, etc. A printer is not a requirement for taking an online course; however, it is certainly beneficial for online students. Some classes may require certain pieces of computer hardware (a microphone, webcam or thumb drive for example).

  Do you have basic computer skills?

  To succeed in an online course, it is vitally important that you are comfortable working on a computer. Basic keyboarding skills are vital for students enrolled in online courses as all communication is conducted electronically. You do not need to be a computer expert to excel; rather, listed are some of the tasks that you will need to accomplish:

  • send and receive email,
  • send, download and open attachments,
  • word processing skills,
  • organize files and folders on your computer,
  • download and rename files, and
  • conduct internet research using the online library databases and public search engines.

  Will your schedule allow you to spend adequate time on this class?

  With online courses, the distinction between “class” time and “study” time blurs together. Students should expect to spend approximately six to nine hours each week on a course. There is no professor to make you show up to class. This gives you freedom, but in order to do well, you must discipline yourself to study and complete assignments by their specific due dates.

  Do you practice good time management skills?

  Do not procrastinate! Although you are not meeting at a regular time, it is vitally important to set aside time each week to conduct coursework. Each assignment will have a specific due date and if not done on time you may be scored a zero. Make sure to check ahead and know when work needs to be done. Complete things slightly ahead of time if you can.

  How would you rate your overall study skills?

  Strong study skills are vital to your success. Knowing and practicing study skills that work best for you will aid in your success. Outlining class materials, creating your own review cards, and typing out your notes are all helpful study methods.

  How would you rate your reading comprehension?

  Take a moment to evaluate your reading comprehension skills. The vast majority of online material is presented in written format. It’s important to realize you can’t just skim over the content and be able to have a clear understanding of when assignments are due and what is expected of you. Strong reading comprehension skills are needed to succeed in an online course.

  Are you comfortable communicating in a written forum?

  Most communication in an online class consists of written email messages between you and the instructor and discussions among class participants. If you have difficulty with an assignment or have questions, you must be willing to compose a message to inform the instructor. Make sure to write your professor using your best possible grammar and spelling, writing for an online course is not like posting on Facebook or texting someone.

  Do you plan ahead?

  There will be times when you have a question about your online course. You may not receive immediate feedback. Sometimes you will need to wait until the instructor or another student is online to answer a question for you. To avoid situations like this it is best to plan ahead. If you wait to the last minute to do your work, something seems to always go wrong.

  Are you willing to ask questions?

  Online instructors cannot read your body language and may not know if you are having problems. If you have a question, write your instructor an email asking them for help. Make sure to write emails clearly and properly so instructors can understand you.

  Are you up to the challenge?

  In an online course, the instructor is a facilitator, not a lecturer. You must take the responsibility for your own learning. Information will be presented in your textbook and through lesson content, PowerPoint presentations, videos, and websites. It is up to you create your own learning path and monitor your own progress. If you like working alone, communicating by writing, and working at your own best time of day, you will do well in an online course.

Please note: Online students must qualify for college-ready status in writing, reading, and math either by placement test, appropriate waiver process, or SAT/ACT scores.