Colleges in New Hampshire

What is Rivier like?

Founded in 1933 as a women's college by the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, Rivier University is a private nonprofit Catholic school based in Nashua, New Hampshire. In 1991, Rivier became coeducational and admitted its first batch of male undergraduates.

The school welcomes students from all backgrounds and focuses on liberal arts and career preparation. With their holistic learning environment, they strive to educate the "whole person" of their students -- mind, body and spirit.

What online programs are at Rivier?

Canvas, Rivier's online learning platform of choice, delivers coursework on an asynchronous schedule for the school's small but impactful list of distance learning degree programs. Rivier also maintains a system of rolling admissions every seven weeks, offering flexibility to potential working students hoping to earn their degrees online.

Nursing programs are some of the most notable of Rivier's multiple distance learning offerings, from the RN to BSN option to Doctor of Nursing Practice program. The RN-BSN, MSN and DNP programs are specially accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, and there are multiple specialties at the graduate level, such as the MSN for family nurse practitioners or the system leadership track for the DNP.

What online resources does Rivier offer?

Rivier supports its online programs with access to plenty of career advice. Students can contact Rivier advisors to discuss potential career paths, career outcomes (including earning potential) and personalized career advising.

A generous transfer policy allows online students to transfer up to 90 credits to accelerate the progress of their chosen bachelor's degree program, while the master's degree programs may allow up to nine transfer credits.

What is Franklin Pierce like?

Franklin Pierce University is a private liberal arts school with the main campus in rural Rindge, New Hampshire. The university prides itself on going beyond a typical "one-size-fits-all" approach to learning. By combining personalized teaching with principles of experiential and applied learning, the school works to create a dynamic, career-focused experience for students.

The diverse list of notable Franklin Pierce alumni includes actor Henry Simmons, MLB left-handed pitcher Steve Hathaway and animal behavior expert Temple Grandin.

What online programs are at Franklin Pierce?

Franklin Pierce uses Canvas to manage its online classes and related coursework. Distance learning students may choose from numerous online undergraduate certificate, associate degree and bachelor's degree programs offered in various fields, ranging from accounting to criminal justice and beyond.

Some distinctive master's degree programs at Franklin Pierce are the MBA in Energy and Sustainability program and the MBA in Sports Management program. These options maximize the flexibility of online learning by allowing students to take courses at their own pace.

What online resources does Franklin Pierce offer?

Eligible students may benefit from the Center Scholar Program at Franklin Pierce, offered through the school's Center for Academic Excellence. Students and alumni alike are supported by career planning and advancement services as well. Alumni are encouraged to give back to the school by speaking to and mentoring current students.

Military personnel and veterans are welcome at Franklin Pierce. Potential students can expect the school's Office of Admissions to provide advice and assistance in determining eligibility for VA educational benefits and other related types of aid, such as the Yellow Ribbon Program.

What is NEC like?

Founded in 1946 to serve the post-war educational needs of servicemen and -women, New England College has grown to be a private nonprofit school with a strong liberal arts background. NEC maintains an "experiential learning" approach in its teaching endeavors, prioritizing hands-on experience or learning by doing. At the same time, NEC offers a robust distance learning initiative with dozens of online options, including a BA in Business Administration program with more than 10 concentrations.

Illustrious NEC alumni include meteorologist Ira Joe Fisher, sculptor Mark Lindquist, former FEMA director Wallace Stickney and voice actor Steven Zirnkilton.

What online programs are at NEC?

Business is the most highly enrolled field for undergraduates at NEC, with 16 percent of undergraduate students choosing the field in 2016. The school's graduate business programs are also well worth looking into. For example, the MS in management benefits from NEC partnerships with New Hampshire businesses, healthcare institutions and nonprofits, which create learning and internship opportunities for its students.

NEC uses Canvas as its preferred online learning management platform, and coursework can be completed on an asynchronous schedule. Courses are available 100 percent online, with no on-site classes required.

What online resources does NEC offer?

NEC offers a variety of online student support resources, including a staff of distance learning student services representatives to assist with everything from enrollment and ordering textbooks to technical support. Online tutoring is also available via Smarthinking.

Institutional scholarships at NEC benefit both first-time students and returning alumni. Merit-based NEC scholarships are typically awarded to undergraduates upon admission, as incoming students are automatically screened for eligibility instead of being dependent on separate applications. NEC alumni may also take advantage of the Pilgrim Plus Scholarship, a 25 percent tuition reduction that can be applied to many of the school's graduate programs.

What is Granite State like?

The earliest foundations of Granite State College's flexible learning initiatives were weekend and evening classes for working adults who wished to continue their education. In the years since, the school has evolved distance learning into an art. A unique portfolio of distance learning formats helps Granite State to meet the needs of all kinds of students.

The school further supports its student body by forming partnerships that create financial aid opportunities -- such as the Network4Health Behavioral Health Scholarship or the Osher Reentry Scholarship Endowment Program -- and employee training opportunities - from their Learning Solutions cohorts to professional development workshops.

What online programs are at Granite State?

Granite State emphasizes flexibility in its online programs by offering them in several formats:

• 100 Percent Online: No on-site requirements. Coursework is managed through Moodle, Granite State's preferred learning management tool.
• Blended: Part online, part face-to-face.
• Hybrid: Classroom meetings only on selected weeks throughout the term, with the rest of the coursework delivered online.
• Field Work-Based: Weekly one-on-one meetings with faculty members.
• Blended Online: Completely online coursework, but with weekly live video conferences.
• Hybrid Online: Completely online coursework, with live video conferences only on selected weeks throughout the term.

Of Granite State's online programs, one of the more notable is the A.S. in Behavioral Science program. OnlineColleges.com has ranked Granite State as one of the best online colleges for behavioral science, and with the variety of available concentrations and the seamless transitions to multiple Granite State bachelor's programs, it's not hard to see why.

What online resources does Granite State offer?

As one of the best online colleges for military servicemen and their dependents, veterans and current personnel can expect substantial support and assistance from Granite State. The school participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill and several military tuition waiver or discount programs. Granite State is also partnered with the Community College of the Air Force through the latter's General Education Mobile program, which helps airmen complete associate and associate-to-baccalaureate degrees.

What is PSU like?

Established in 1871 as a school for teachers, Plymouth State University continues to honors its roots in education training to this day. As a member of the University System of New Hampshire, the public school maintains a sizable number of teaching-based academic offerings, some available online.

Some notable PSU alumni include poet Ethan Paquin, television producer Chris Romano and former NFL player Joe Dudek. Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens is also a former PSU attendee.

What online programs are at PSU?

While many programs at PSU can be taken partially or mostly online, the majority require at least some on-campus attendance. However, there are a few notable exceptions. Two examples include library media -- which is recognized by the American Association of School Librarians -- and general management -- which is designed for non-business majors and is taught using a cohort format.

Plymouth's learning management platform of choice is Moodle. In addition, several short non-credit career training courses are also available online through a partnership with Ed2Go.

What online resources does PSU offer?

PSU maintains an extensive knowledgebase to help students with IT and tangential issues, like setting up university-provided email addresses or learning how to use Moodle. There is an online service that gives PSU students access to writing consultations and resources dealing with plagiarism, writing anxiety, style guides and more.

The school also offers talent grants and fellowships, as well as a number of scholarships such as the Citizens Bank Scholarship Fund and the Myrtle L. Grover Endowment Fund-Business.

What is SNHU like?

Southern New Hampshire University has changed a lot over the years. Founded in 1932 as a for-profit business school, it has transformed into a fast-growing private nonprofit university that offers by far the largest number of different online programs in New Hampshire. A substantial percentage of SNHU's student body is familiar with the school's distance education initiatives and has taken at least one online course.

What online programs are at SNHU?

SNHU's learning platform of choice is D2L's Brightspace, through which programs are available in health, psychology, math, social science, engineering and many other fields.

However, considering the school's business training legacy, it's understandable that SNHU would have a strong focus on business. And indeed, the university boasts a truly impressive spread of business- and finance-related online degree programs, with dozens of possible concentrations. Of particular note is the fact that OnlineColleges has ranked SNHU as one of the best online colleges for marketing.

What online resources does SNHU offer?

SNHU's open enrollment policy, which waives the typical fee and transcript-submission requirements, makes the university widely accessible for prospective students. The school is even more accessible for active-duty military and their eligible dependents, who may be eligible for a tuition fee discount.

The school has also partnered with Salesforce and created a transfer path between Salesforce's Trailhead initiative and SNHU's degree programs. This allows students to complete modules through Trailhead and transfer the credit into applicable SNHU programs.

What is UNH like?

The University of New Hampshire was first established as a mechanical and agricultural arts college in 1866. Well over a century later, it has blossomed into a public research university and the main campus of the State University System. Based in Durham, this university began as a land grant college but has become a land, sea and space grant educational institution.

UNH hosted its first online program in 2012 and has been expanding its offerings ever since. The long list of illustrious UNH alumni includes well-known authors John Irving and Alice McDermott, filmmaker Jennifer Lee and multiple former New Hampshire governors.

What online programs are at UNH?

UNH previously used Blackboard as its online learning portal but has switched to myCourses powered by Canvas. The majority of online coursework offered by UNH is asynchronous; some courses are offered at an accelerated or condensed format.

Among the most noteworthy online programs at UNH are its two LLM programs: one in intellectual property law and the other in international criminal law and justice. The former focuses on patent law, while the latter focuses on legal and global issues surrounding terrorism, human trafficking, cybercrime and more. These programs may be completed full-time in only 12 months or can be taken part-time over as long as five years.

What online resources does UNH offer?

UNH's career advisement and development services are particularly extensive, offering several online resources such as:

• A career management system in the form of a partnership with Handshake
• Wildcat Connections, a platform for current students to seek guidance from alumni
• Job-seeking tools (i.e., VMock and InterviewStream) that allow students to review resume strength and interview performances

What is WMCC like?

White Mountains Community College is working to offer educational access to an ever-wider portion of New Hampshire. In the time since it was founded in 1966, the school has expanded to include two remote academic centers where classes can be taken. It also hosts a small but relatively unique list of distance learning certificate programs, as well as individual online courses in various subjects.

WMCC is known for its relatively easy application process -- many of its programs operate under an open enrollment policy.

What online programs are at WMCC?

There are only two full distance education options available at WMCC: the library technology certificate program and the water quality technology certificate program. WMCC uses Canvas as its learning management system to manage its asynchronous online classes and coursework.

After completion, credits from the water quality technology certificate program can be applied towards WMCC's associate in interdisciplinary studies. Meanwhile, the library technology certificate program ends with a field placement that gives students a chance to apply what they have learned to practical work. Students in this program can expect lessons to discuss reference, circulation and other library-related topics, with a focus on recent technological advancements in the field.

What online resources does WMCC offer?

WMCC students can expect their online course credits to be transferred with no issue between the member institutions of the state's Community College System and within the state's University System. The school's Assisting People In Transition (APIT) program helps students that are also homemakers and single parents in particular, offering everything from academic and career planning to financial assistance and childcare reimbursements.

The Registrar's Office of WMCC also has a Certifying Official for Military Education Benefits to help eligible students apply for and receive VA financial assistance through the Montgomery G.I. Bill, as well as other forms of federal tuition assistance.

What is Colby-Sawyer like?

Colby-Sawyer College is an innovative private science and liberal arts school founded in 1837 as a coeducational institution. The school has what it calls a "wireless campus," where all students create electronic portfolios to track their learning achievements throughout their college career.

Noteworthy Colby-Sawyer alumni include actor Nate Corddry, former New Hampshire governors John H. Bartlett and Anthony Colby, former Massachusetts governor John Q. A. Brackett and businessman Charles Henry Morrill, the namesake of Morrill County, Nebraska.

What online programs are at Colby-Sawyer?

Colby-Sawyer offers an RN to BSN program that can be completed 100 percent online. The program's courses focus on evidence-based leadership and practices as well as community and public health. Prospective students can submit unofficial transcripts for evaluation and may be allowed to transfer up to 90 undergraduate units toward the 120-credit Colby-Sawyer BSN.

The college offers rolling admissions, with 15-week spring and fall courses and 12-week summer sessions. Courses are managed by the Moodle learning platform.

What online resources does Colby-Sawyer offer?

Financial aid may be available to online students who are enrolled in more than one course in a semester, including a tuition rate discount for employees of long-time affiliated Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Each online student is also assigned an academic advisor to consult with, who can provide personal tutorial services online.

Furthermore, distance learners have access to Colby-Sawyer's other online resources, such as library collections, technical support and career development initiatives.

What is NHTI like?

Established as New Hampshire Technical Institute in 1965, NHTI is based in the state's capital city of Concord. The public residential school is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire, and it changed its name in 2008 to reflect its transformation into a comprehensive educational institution.

What online programs are at NHTI?

NHTI's preferred online learning management system is Canvas, through which it delivers coursework for distance learning associate degree or undergraduate certificate programs. These programs are meant to be asynchronous and completely online, ideal for part-time or full-time adult students.

Perhaps the most distinctive NHTI online offering is the Associate in Science in hospitality and tourism management program, as well as the relatively unique related options: the event/conference management certificate, hotel administration certificate, travel and tourism certificate and wedding planning management certificate programs. All but the last come with optional practicum or internship opportunities through NHTI partnerships.

What online resources does NHTI offer?

NHTI accepts and helps facilitate VA educational benefits applications for eligible military servicemen.

The school also has a number of useful career resources available to all its students. There is an internal job and resume posting portal powered by College Central Network and a thorough Career Coach online resource. The latter includes a resume builder, a career assessment test and a specific search tool for veterans to find civilian careers based on their military skills.