Northern Virginia Community College offers an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree to prepare students to transfer their credits to another institution. The Associate of Applied Arts and Associate of Applied Science degrees and certificates prepare students for immediate employment in the workplace. The associate degrees take two years to accomplish, while the certificate programs can take one year or less. Areas of study include accounting, air-conditioning and refrigeration, American Sign Language, education and technology courses, interior design, and health and nursing programs.
ACT College focuses on providing technical training in the health care field. It offers diplomas in medical or dental assisting, medical office administration and for pharmacy technicians. Courses may be taken in day sessions lasting 40 weeks or evening sessions lasting 58 weeks. The coursework includes 180 hours of hands-on experience in local private practices or clinics. Degree programs are offered in allied health technology.
Everest College is one of a chain of vocational/technical education centers throughout the United States. Its Arlington campus offers diplomas for medical assistants and Homeland Security specialists. Associate of Science degrees are offered in business, criminal justice and paralegal studies.
The Arlington-Ballston campus of Westwood College offers programs for associate or bachelor;s degrees in design, business, information technology and criminal justice. Its school of design includes options such as animation, computer-aided design, game art and interior design. In business administration, students may choose to focus on different areas of management such as accounting, health care or marketing. A construction management program also is offered. In information technology, the choices are computer forensics, systems security or network management.