Q) Will these classes be accepted in my state?

A) Courses completed at Tom Wilson Counseling Center are offered by Thomas A Wilson, M.A., Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. These classes have been approved in Idaho and many other states. However, we do not guarantee classes will be accepted by your state. You must get approval from your state agency. See the next question for advice on “how to ask for approval of an out of state class.”

Q) How do I ask for approval of your courses if I am in another state?

A) Simply ask “Do you accept classes that I completed in an out of state approved treatment program?” or “Can I transfer classes I complete with a licensed counselor in another state?”

Q) Which states have accepted your classes?

A) The following is a partial list of the states where online students successfully submitted their Certificate of Completion and were accepted: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

Q) Do you send a certificate of completion to the court or state agency?

A) Yes. Normally, we send the certificate of completion directly to you. However, if your state requires us to send a certificate directly to the agency, we are happy to send the certificate to the state agency or person you have identified.

Q) How long does it usually take to complete an online course?

A) Students average between 2½ to 8½ hours for any selected course. The Defensive Driving Traffic Safety Course can be timed to last a minimum of 6 to 8 hours based on different state requirements, however.

Q) Once I log on, do I have to stay on the course until I have completed the whole class?

A) No. You can log in and log out once you have set up your username, password and received your course enrollment key from the instructor.

Q) How do online classes work?

A) Online classes are similar to face-to-face classes in the sense that there is a real instructor and real students online. The main difference is that the classroom is a web site that can be accessed from anywhere in the world, and that lessons are read by students and review questions are completed online instead of in the classroom. The instructor checks the progress of each student from a remote location by looking at “grades” and “student activity logs.” Logs are a permanent record of your activity in the courses.

Q) Is there a certain time we have to be online everyday?

A) No. You can log on to your class at any time of the day or night and participate in the class.

Q) How long do I have to complete the course?

A) Typically, you have 30 days to complete the course before the computer deletes your name off the student roster. Most students complete within two weeks, however.

Q) What is an online course?

A) Online courses are conducted over the Internet and do not have regular meetings in a physical space. Students need a Windows or Macintosh computer with at least a 14.4 modem, an Internet service provider, and a Web browser. Courses are online at a dedicated course Web site.

Q) How do you know who is taking the course?

A) We cannot fully guarantee that the person taking the class is the one that registered for the class; new identity verification techniques are available when required by state agencies.