Blackboard Noncredit Online Courses

Prince George's Community College uses Blackboard (Bb) as the Web-based program that serves as the college's online classroom. Blackboard offers a password-protected "online classroom" that provides e-mail, course content, chat, calendar, discussion board, and other course tools common in an online course. The Blackboard online classroom can be accessed over the Internet at any time of day or night. You will be able to participate entirely from the comfort of your home or office at times that are most convenient to you.

These are all instructor-led courses. They are not self-paced; rather, the entire class works along together on the weekly lessons. The discussion board feature allows for much class interaction with classmates and the instructor.

The start dates and lengths of these courses vary from course to course. Although a lot of the coursework is located in the Web classroom, a textbook purchase may be required for some courses.

All courses require Internet access, E-mail, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser.

You must also have a working Owl Link account at PGCC in order to access a Blackboard course.

What types of noncredit courses are offered on Blackboard?

Totally online noncredit courses

PGCC offers totally online noncredit courses where all of the coursework is located on Blackboard (Bb). The topics of these courses include:

MD Child Care Credential 45- & 90-hr
Grant Writing
Human Resources

Hybrid online noncredit courses:

Hybrid courses are ones that meet both face-to-face and online. While some portions of the course meet at on-campus locations on particular dates and times, other portions of the course are conducted online. Their online component is located on PGCC's Blackboard (Bb). The topics of these courses include:

Pharmacy Technician Training

Concurrent credit/noncredit online courses:

Concurrent credit/noncredit courses are ones that have both credit and noncredit students in the same class. While the coursework is the same for both types of students, the credit students earn college credits, while the noncredit students earn CEUs (Continuing Education Units) for their participation in the coursework. The topics of these courses include:

Art

Business and Management

Food Service & Culinary Arts

Hospitality Management

Get Started

Step 1: Select a Blackboard Noncredit Course

Step 2: Register and Pay

Step 3: Activate Your Owl Link Account

Step 4: Check your Hardware and Software

Step 5: Learn When and How to Access Your Blackboard Noncredit Course

Step 6: Begin Your Blackboard Noncredit Course

Step 1: Select a Blackboard Noncredit Course

If you see a topic of interest to you in the types of noncredit courses offered on Blackboard, then you may be ready to look for a particular class that uses the Blackboard format.

To see the Blackboard Noncredit courses available, click here.

Step 2: Register and Pay

Click here for information about registering and paying for your course.

Step 3: Activate Your Owl Link Account

After you have registered and paid for a course, you must then activate your Owl Link account, which is needed for accessing your Blackboard online course.

1. Look up your PGCC Owl Link User ID.

Go to the Owl Link Web site
Click "Account Information"
Select "What's My UserID?"

2. Reset your Owl Link password.

Select "What's My Password?"

Click here to go to Owl Link.

Note: IPMA-HR students do not get Owl Link accounts. They receive their login information from the IPMA-HR.

Step 4: Check Your Hardware and Software

Click here to view the computer requirements for Blackboard courses.

Step 5: Learn When and How to Access Your Blackboard Noncredit Course

WHEN to access your Blackboard Noncredit online course

Noncredit online classes using Blackboard will be available four days before the class officially begins, giving everyone time to work through any possible access problems.

HOW to access your Blackboard Noncredit online course

Log onto Blackboard (http://pgcconline.blackboard.com). Note: This Web address does not contain "www."
Type your Owl Link account information into the Blackboard login box.

Note: IPMA-HR students use the login information received from the IPMA-HR. They do not use Owl Link account information to log into Blackboard.

Step 6: Begin Your Blackboard Noncredit Course

On the start date of your course, log into the Blackboard Web site at http://pgcconline.blackboard.com to begin.
On your "Welcome" screen, you will see the course(s) in which you are enrolled listed in the box labeled "My Courses." Click on the course name to enter your Blackboard course.

What if I have problems logging into my online class?
If you are unable to login to Blackboard, contact your instructor by e-mail or voice mail. If your instructor is unable to help you, please contact eLearning Services.

Be sure to login frequently to your online course.

If you have questions about the coursework, don't hesitate to contact your instructor, by e-mail or by phone. Communication is very important in an online course.

Now, enjoy your course and be successful!