College Survival Guide: Online Science Courses

Communications Staff

UPDATED  MARCH 1, 2021

Getting ahead of the crowd has always been your thing. It’s in your DNA to keep making progress toward your life goals. You’re already thinking about ways to get a health care degree as fast and efficiently as possible, so you’re checking into online science courses and looking for the best tips for excelling in an online class environment. It’s good to know you’re not alone in your quest for online college credits: more than 6.3 million students take advantage of these courses every year.

Online courses are a good fit for:

• High schoolers getting a head start in college coursework
• Current college students who also work part-time
• Career-changers scheduling college classes while in a current job
• Students wanting to reduce their total time in college

A Survival Guide to Online Science Courses

Some colleges might deliver essential online science courses like anatomy and physiology online yet offer little or no assistance if you run into problems.

Online science courses are more challenging than regular online options, so a better choice is to look for colleges with strong student services and the commitment to deliver their science courses in a hybrid format. An online hybrid format requires students to meet on campus a specific number of times each term, as well as other safeguards.

Online Prerequisites: What to Look for

Every college will have different online offerings, but a college that focuses on health care degrees might give you the widest possible options. Health care degrees will require meeting specific general education requirements, which are called prerequisite classes.

Example of online prerequisite classes include:

• Anatomy & Physiology (with a lab component)
• General sociology and psychology
• Intermediate Algebra (or higher)
• Communications
• Health science terminology (or similar topic)

Reminder: when you’re checking out online courses in the sciences, make sure those versions are academically strong. Online class instructors should use the same standard learning outcomes documents and textbooks as on-campus class instructors.

7 Tips for Success in Online Science Courses

• Colleges sometimes define online classes differently, so it’s up to you to find out how much class time is online and how much time is in the classroom. Make sure your personal schedule fits those expectations.
• Have an up-to-date computer or laptop and a reliable internet connection. You should be comfortable with web browsing, word processing, and email software.
• For some, online classes are more difficult because the faculty-student interaction happens less often. Do whatever it takes to stay up to date and on track.
• Don’t procrastinate. Spread your time on assignments across several days. Plan on spending 18 hours per week for each class.
• Know the expectations for a good grade. Online grading standards are very specific for online coursework and may be different than what you’ve experienced before.
• When taking a test online, have a document window open or a notepad available in which you can insert questions you don’t know so you can find the answers later.
• Don’t isolate yourself. In addition to the times you’ll meet as a group on campus, communicate regularly with other students and instructors, and participate in online discussions.

Cleveland University-Kansas City: Online Science Courses

Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a nonprofit, private, healthcare-focused university located in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb in the Kansas City metro. CUKC has been pioneering healthcare degrees for nearly 100 years and is recognized as one of the oldest nonprofit chiropractic colleges in the nation.

CUKC offers many online prerequisites for its degrees and completing the gen eds here can mean preferred admission to the programs. See each degree program’s admission requirements for more information on this possibility.

CUKC specializes in healthcare degrees, so it’s a good place to satisfy online prerequisites and find online science courses specific to the health care field. Our degree options include two-year A.A.S. options: the A.A.S. Associate of Applied Science in Radiologic Technology (Radiographer), and the Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA). Students who complete all required prerequisite and general education coursework at CUKC will be granted preferred admission status provided all criteria for degree program admission are met, and all other considerations are satisfactory.

Both programs made the U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 list of top-25 jobs in healthcare support.

CUKC also offers the Associate of Arts in Biological Sciences, which can lead directly to our Bachelor of Science in Human Biology degree. Many CUKC students then go on to earn their Doctor of Chiropractic degree.

Request more information today, check out CUKC yourself through a campus visit, or join us for an open house event.