Our next online Theory and Theory Review class will be totally online, and will be low tech -- initially.  That means you do NOT have to invest a great sum of money to give it a try and get started.  What you will need is a stenotype machine (rented or purchased) that writes to paper tape (that's the old fashioned way) or a computerized stenotype machine (more expensive) where you can write to paper tape and write to the computer.  (The older manual stenotype machines, which are fine for starting with, run between $100-250, generally.) 
You will also need the Theory books, Computer Shorthand Realtime Theory Third Edition by Roberts, Walsh, Gonzalez, ISBN 0-13-079138-5, and the accompanying Read It! Book 1 and Read It! Book 2, which contain steno outlines for all 60 Theory lessons.  And of course you will need a computer and Internet connection to do your online coursework.  Your computer needs to be able to play audio files, CDs and DVDs.  You need a working email address you can access frequently.  You need access to snail mail (the regular post) as you will be sending your notes in regularly for correction during the low-tech portion of your course.  You will be given the option if you have a computerized writer to install a tutorial that you can practice with.  Second semester, you will need a computerized writer to use with the tutorial to reinforce your Theory and get ready for realtime translation.

Learning Theory in person is extremely challenging, so this online course introduction to the court reporting stenotype machine is going to be conducted a little differently, which we actually expect will bring about better results.  We will cover the first 30 lessons the first semester, and the second 30 lessons the second semester. (We will get more high-tech the second semester, too.  If you decide to stay with it, that's when you will want to invest in a more expensive writer (stenotype machine - and you'll understand more about exactly what you need) and the second semester coursework will require you to make that move at that time. You will build a solid foundation in stenotype Theory, and that means in the end that you should be able to build speed faster than students who rushed through a shorter Theory course and didn't learn the Theory as well.  Think about it!  We don't think learning the machine keyboard and taking Theory over two semesters will hinder the time you spend in school at all!  The important thing is always learning your Theory well.  It is the foundation for the rest of your schooling and the rest of your court reporting or captioning career.  As a registered student you are also welcome to come into our Court Reporting lab on campus and use our computers, writers and programs in the lab; and your instructor will be available to meet with you as well.

We think all the court reporting schools are good and can help you get to where you want to go.  Of course we think we have the best program overall :-) and the difference between our online Theory classes and most of the other schools that are available online is that most of them are private schools that charge a great deal more money.  Our courses are $20 per unit, so Theory and Theory Review (CRCC 140a and CRCC 141a) will cost you approximately $100 plus student body and student health fee (approx. $24) for an entire semester!!!  (Out of state non-resident tuition fees are $181 per unit and International Student fees are $190 per unit - (or more) still less than the private schools!)*see Cerritos Schedule of Classes for complete fee information*

So for just a bit more information about the courses:  Theory is CRCC 140a and Theory Review is CRCC 141a.