Two-year and junior colleges offer programs that lead toward associate's degrees and credit transfers that can be applied toward a bachelor's degree. Two-year and junior colleges offer more general curricula, but they can also offer vocational training programs. They also offer adult continuing education courses that do not lead toward a degree, but may result in a certificate. Part-time and full-time study can be chosen.
Technical colleges and technical institutes only award a two-year associate's degree or a diploma in a technical, vocational or career studies area. Technical colleges are mostly concerned with teaching the skills necessary for a specific trade, rather than with general education studies. Technical colleges also sometimes offer adult continuing education courses, usually in applied studies of some form (such as computer and graphics training). Usually, full-time study is encouraged due to the hands-on nature of the training, but part-time study is also an option.
Correspondence courses are programs that are actively championed by community colleges for the type of flexibility and access that they offer adult learners. These programs are also referred to as distance learning programs. Students can take the courses from a city or state that is different from where the school is actually located. These courses are very useful for adults who are working full-time, or who do not have access to a specific course of study where they live and are unable or unwilling to move to attend school.
Online courses are a form of e-learning that is appealing for many adult learners as these courses tend to be more flexible in terms of class organization. They are taken and offered through the Internet, and all testing is also administered online. These courses are useful for adults with prior family or work obligations that hinder their ability to take a course that must be scheduled for a specific time or place.