Online Course Formats

Online courses are offered in the following formats:

Online Asynchronous (no required virtual meetings)

Online asynchronous courses are the most flexible course type schedule-wise! There is no online meeting or commute to campus requirement. All course materials and assessments are located within Bristol’s Online Learning system. Complete work at your own pace as long as you adhere to instructor deadlines. Your instructor is present throughout the course to offer instruction, answer questions, provide opportunities to interact with peers, and provide regular feedback as you learn.

Online Synchronous (required virtual meetings)

Online synchronous courses meet virtually on specific days at specific times, and attendance is required. However, there is no campus commute requirement. During meetings you will learn from your instructor and interact with your classmates. Meetings typically take place through an online meeting application called Zoom. Outside of virtual meetings, your instructor is available to answer questions and provide routine feedback.

Hybrid

As the name suggests, hybrid courses consist of online work and required face-to-face meetings on a campus. Meeting times vary, but there are typically fewer in-person meetings in a hybrid course than a face-to-face course. For example, a hybrid course could meet once a week, or just once a month. The specific dates/times of in-person meetings will be listed next to the name of a course when you are registering for it. As with any type of course, it is always important to keep track of deadlines and complete course work on time.

Award-Winning Courses and Faculty

Bristol faculty and courses have been recognized as Courses of Distinction (COD) at the annual Massachusetts Colleges Online (MCO) conference.