OCC Course Formats

At Oakland Community College, we offer flexible options for developing your plan of study. This includes five campus locations as well as morning, day and evening classes. As you plan out your classes, it also helps to have a better understanding of the different course types available.

LEC: Face to Face Course

• Meetings take place face to face in an on-campus classroom setting.
• In this course format, you may be required to use technology to complete the outcomes of this course.

ONL-S: Online Course (Synchronous)

• Online Synchronous courses take place entirely online*.
• You’ll be required to use a computer, webcam, microphone and other technology to complete the outcomes of this course.
• In this course format, you’ll be required to attend all online meetings scheduled during the days/times listed in the Schedule of Classes
• Certain ONL courses may require exam proctoring or a lab component that must be completed on campus or in another physical location. Individual instructors will provide details during the first week of class.

ONL-A: Online Course (Asynchronous)

• Online Asynchronous courses take place entirely online*.
• In this course type, there are no required online course meeting times. Although students may be required to work in groups or with other students at independently arranged dates/times.
• You’ll need a computer and other technology to complete the outcomes of this course.
• Certain ONL courses may require exam proctoring or a lab component that must be completed on campus or in another physical location. Individual instructors will provide details during the first week of class.

HYB: Hybrid Course

• Hybrid classes incorporate online instructional elements in addition to on-campus classroom meetings.
• In this course format, you’ll be required to attend on-campus meetings and possibly online meetings during the days/times listed in the Schedule of Classes.
• You’ll be required to use a computer and other technology to complete the outcomes of this course.

How Do I know Which Course Format is Best for Me?

When choosing a course type, you should consider the flexibility of your schedule, how you prefer to learn and the type of interaction that works best for you.

• Students who do not have a consistent schedule from week to week may find online courses most convenient; they should also be aware of the challenges of learning independently and the importance of self-direction in some online courses. 
• Students who are self-directed and ready to complete work independently without meeting regularly with other students or a faculty member should consider taking online asynchronous or hybrid courses.
• Students who prefer face to face interaction may want to choose a variety of face-to-face, hybrid, and online-synchronous courses, which all allow for live interaction between students and the instructor. 

Other things to consider:

• Not all courses are available in all formats. As you develop your plan of study with your OCC Counselor, you may need to take a variety of course types.
• Some programs are not available in an online format. Visit our online programs page to see what programs can be completed 100% online. Many degrees allow students to select a variety of course formats.
• You’ll need to register for and pass the DIST-1000: Online Learning Readiness course before you will be able to enroll in online or hybrid courses.

 

Where Do I Find the Course Format When I Register?

• Visit OCC’s Search for Sections page.
• Use the search form to select the subjects in your plan of study and enter any other information you know about each course. Click the Search button.
• In the Section Selection Results list, the course type is listed in the “Meeting Information” description.
• In-person courses are listed as Lecture (LEC).
• All online and hybrid options use the course type names indicated above (ONL-A: Online – Asynchronous, ONL-S: Online – Synchronous, HYB: Hybrid).
• You can also find the course type on each course’s individual Section Information page, under Instructional Method.