Are the off-campus courses any different from
the on-campus courses?
Appalachian faculty offer the
same courses in off-campus programming as are offered on
campus. The only differences between the two are location
of the classroom and the cohort nature of most of the off-campus
programs. Instruction is primarily conducted through face-to-face
at the off-campus site unless the program/course is identified as an online offering.
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What is a cohort?
The term “cohort” is
used to describe a group of students seeking the same educational
goal who begin a program of study together and proceed
term-by-term in a lock-step fashion to acquire the necessary
courses. Because for most off-campus offerings each
cohort’s program progressively builds on previous
terms, a student must begin when the cohort is initiated
and continue to take the prescribed schedule of courses
in order to complete the required program of study. (There
are certain graduate programs which are not structured
exclusively on cohort models. Please check with the
appropriate Program Manager regarding your program of interest.)
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How are off-campus academic programs chosen?
Most academic programs are chosen according to the
expressed educational needs of individuals residing
within certain geographic areas. Typically, surveys or individual
inquiries provide the best means for Appalachian and the
community colleges composing the Appalachian Learning Alliance
to assess the educational needs. (“Appalachian Learning
Alliance” is the name given the cooperative educational
efforts of Appalachian State University and ten community
colleges in northwestern NC.) The Office of Extension
and Distance Education maintains prospect lists for programs
and encourages interested individuals to submit the request
form to indicate the programs they are seeking.
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Does the University
provide at the off-campus sites all graduate courses necessary
to earn selected graduate degrees?
Most
of the off-campus graduate programs do deliver all courses
necessary to earn the degree. The promotional literature
and orientation information will indicate if there are
any courses within the program of study which must be
completed on Appalachian’s campus. It is
important to note that courses are typically delivered
to a cohort only one time; therefore, so long as a student
begins the cohort when it is initiated and takes all
courses delivered to the cohort one may be assured that
s/he will be able to accomplish the program of study
as set forth in the off-campus cohort promotional materials.
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How long will I have to complete a graduate degree?
Most of the off-campus cohort programs will take two years
(including summers) to complete. In general, academic
work, including transfer credit, taken no more than seven
calendar years before the year in which the graduate degree
is awarded may be used to satisfy the degree requirements.
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What about transferring coursework into a graduate program
of study at Appalachian?
A student enrolled in a non-thesis degree program is usually
permitted to transfer from another approved graduate school
up to nine (9) semester hours of appropriate graduate credit. A
student in the thesis program may be permitted to transfer
up to six (6) semester hours of appropriate work completed
in another approved graduate school. Transfer coursework
cannot have been included in a previous degree, the grades
earned must be at least “B” (“passing” or “satisfactory” in
lieu of a letter grade is not acceptable), and the credit
cannot be more than seven years old at the time the degree
is awarded.
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Is the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) required
of all graduate applicants?
Not necessarily. All applicants must submit test scores
from an approved entrance exam, though. The GRE is
acceptable for all graduate programs except those in the College of Business. The Graduate
Management Admission Test (GMAT) is required by the College
of Business. Additionally,
selected programs in the College of Education will accept the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) as an alternative
to the GRE.
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Does Appalachian
offer the graduate program entry examinations I’ll
need?
Yes, Appalachian’s
Testing
Center offers a wide array of tests and provides information about examination scheduling. Additionally,
there are occasions when the
Testing Center
provides special test times at locations away from the
main campus. You may contact the Program Manager in the Office of Extension and Distance Education
who will be handling the proposed cohort for more information.
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What are the tuition costs and are significant
increases expected in the future?
Current tuition and fee costs
are shown at the financial Information page.
Because UNC schools are funded by State monies, exact tuition
and fees for the upcoming year are usually not available
until the summer preceding the fall term. According to
our current information, we anticipate modest increases
in the costs from year to year.
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What about textbooks?
The ISBN
numbers for all textbooks for each cohort are provided so that students
may ensure they are acquiring the correct books. (In the first term of a cohort, information is generally sent directly to incoming students regarding the first courses and textbooks required. Thereafter, the textbooks and their corresponding ISBN numbers are listed in the online Off-Campus Schedule of Classes.) Appalachian’s
University Bookstore stocks all of the books and serves
as a resource for textbook acquisition, or students may elect to secure their books via other sources.
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What about advising?
Each cohort has an Academic Coordinator who
serves in an advising role for the students within the
group.
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How does a student know which off-campus
courses to take, and how does s/he register for them?
The off-campus programs are in
a lock-step sequence, meaning that Appalachian offers only
certain prescribed courses per term and those courses are
sometimes pre-requisites for later terms' courses. Should
a student miss a term within the given cohort, it is their
responsibility to make up the course(s) missed--and that
may mean coming to campus to acquire the course(s). It
is important to note that the Appalachian courses to be
delivered at a certain site are offered only one time to
the cohort. The Office of Extension and Distance Education
takes care of informing students about registration and assists in the process, as necessary.
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What if a student must drop a course or withdraw from school?
If there is a change in enrollment
the student must notify the Office of Extension and Distance
Education immediately. The student may e-mail their cohort
Program Manager, write them, or call them at 800/355-4084.
Information regarding withdrawal and the refund policy
is available at the beginning of each online Schedule of
Off-Campus Courses.
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Can a student accelerate finishing the degree
by attending both on- and off-campus courses?
Because the vast majority of the
distance education students are seeking only part-time
enrollment and aren't able to come to Appalachian's campus,
we have not sought to construct our programs for enrollment
both on and off campus. Past experience indicates
that considerable confusion usually results from the combination
of on- and off-campus courses; therefore, the University
does not condone the practice except in instances where
students are advised to do so. We recommend that
if a person wishes to complete degree requirements as quickly
as possible s/he should enroll as a full-time student on
campus.
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What about graduation?
Students must apply to graduate,
and there are deadlines for applying. A good rule
of thumb is to apply at the beginning of your last term. The
application for graduation is available through the Graduate School. Appalachian's
graduation ceremonies are held on campus in May and December
of each year.
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Must a student own a computer to be in an off-campus program?
Computer labs in the ALA community
colleges are made available to Appalachian’s off-campus
students, so a home computer is not required. Many
students do find having a home computer quite convenient,
though, and the University Bookstore
serves as a purchasing resource for Appalachian students
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Must a student know very much about using
computers?
A minimum level of computer skills
will be essential to your success as an off-campus student.
If you are uncomfortable with your current level of computer
skills, consider taking an introductory-level computer
course at the community college to boost your skills and
confidence. During the orientation held at the beginning
of each site-based program students are made aware of their University
computer account and given a basic introduction to use
of the account.
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Are there library resources available to
off-campus students?
Appalachian’s off-campus
students are entitled to library services and resources
equivalent to those provided for students and faculty in
the traditional campus setting. The University Library’s
Distance Learning Library Services Team is dedicated to
encouraging and facilitating library use among off-campus
students. Resources and services for off-campus students
are described at Distance
Learning Library Services. To
access library databases a student must be registered for
the current term. A toll-free number is available for reaching
Distance Learning Library Services.
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What about the Appalachian Student ID and
entitlement to all student privileges?
All Appalachian students are entitled to receive the Student ID card. For site-based off-campus cohorts, photos for ID's are usually taken during the cohort orientation.
(Students who do not have their ID photos taken at an orientation session may have their photos made at the ID Center in Trivette Hall on the main campus.) Off-campus students pay only their tuition and the educational technology fees. Those fees associated with facilities
and such areas as the Student Medical Center and Athletics
are not charged because off-campus students are not likely to come to main campus to use those services. Off-campus students, therefore, do not
pay for the privileges to use certain facilities and services
(such as the on-campus recreation centers, the Student
Medical Center, etc.) or to receive free home athletic
event tickets. Off-campus students DO have the privilege
to access the Library.
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Why only part-time offerings?
Most students who enter Appalachian's
off-campus programs have full-time jobs, and it would be
difficult for them to assume full-time study for an extended
period of time; therefore, there are generally one to two
courses delivered each term to a cohort. One to two
courses per term will necessitate some reshuffling of priorities,
but most people find that number of courses manageable..
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When should one apply?
There are application deadlines
and they can vary according to the program. Generally,
those deadlines are November 1 for spring term entry and
July 1 for fall entry. The application and supporting
transcripts should be submitted to the Office of Extension
and Distance Education so that your application may be
coded for off-campus enrollment. Admission notification
is usually within one month following submission of the
complete application..
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Is financial aid available for students enrolled in off-campus
programs?
Yes, so long as the student has
qualified to receive federal financial aid. Anyone seeking
federal financial assistance should complete the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 15 for priority
consideration (though the application is acceptable after
that date). For more information visit FAFSA or call 1-800-4-FEDAID.
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