The Benefits of Attending Southwestern Illinois College

Southwestern Illinois College's (or SWIC) main campus is located on the outskirts of Belleville, Illinois with two smaller campuses in Granite City and Red Bud Illinois alongside twenty six other off-campus locations in the district. The focus of the school is on the two year program, either through the completion of an associates degree, or in one of the many certificate programs. The classes ensure both a learning of skills to complete a two year program as well as giving the tools to further the student's education in a four year university.

Many go to a community college to start their education after high school. With lower prices then a four year school, students are free to find their preferred major while not spending as much money per credit hour. Cost starts at $68 per credit hour if in district, $176 if just in state, and $275 for out of state. Of course many students get financial aid as well. There are many grants, scholarships and loans available at the school through their financial aid office.

The various classes you can take at Southwestern Illinois College range from a typical to very unique. There is the normal English 101 class, basic biology, and math, but there is also a Comic Book and Graphic Novels as Literature class. And a Literature of Madness (focusing on stories dealing with insanity), the higher Literature classes always have something unique listed every semester. Other subjects have similar diversity, but I must confess I was an English major and focused on that portion of the courses. Like most modern schools sign up for classes can happen on line and be found on their website. The only flaw in SWIC's Associates Degree program is a lack of diversity in the liberal arts when it comes to the actual degree. Instead of an English, Philosophy, or History degree it is just an Associates in Arts. There are degrees in computer science, biological and physical sciences.

All of the Associates Degree programs at Southwestern Illinois College are built in the hopes that the student will continue to a four year university. To further help the student, SWIC is partnered with many universities in the area with offices on campus for representatives of the schools. These include the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and Saint Louis University. As part of the partnership, attending any of the schools after receiving an Associates at SWIC immediately waves all the basic education needs from the Bachelor's Degree. In addition, if you live in district of SWIC, then both UMSL and SLU will count you as in state and it will save some excess money on the fees.

In addition to the Associates Degree, Southwestern Illinois College offers a few certificate programs. They have an excellent nursing program that is associated with SLU and Barnes Jewish Hospital that upon completion leads most directly into a new job. There is also a welding program for those who want to learn the skill and put it to use at the many factories and refineries in the area. Another popular program at SWIC is the fireman program that gives the skills needed to take on the civil service.

Southwestern Illinois College offers many opportunities to students and is a great place to start, or finish an education. If you live in the Belleville area, and wanting to continue your education there is no reason to not check it out.

Source: www.swic.edu