Online Bachelor of Arts Degree Completion Program
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is an ideal online student?
- Nationally, a typical online student is a working adult who is managing a student career, work career and family and is taking online courses for convenience to complete an education or for career enhancement. Given this profile, the online learner is usually mature, independent, self-motivated and possesses strong time management skills. These qualities are important for success in an online course since there are few face-to-face encounters with the instructor.
- How is online studying different?
- The major difference is your location. You do not have to travel to the campus. You can participate in your course from your home, office, or while traveling. You do, however, have the same access to the excellence of UMassBoston professors/instructors as do those physically on campus. Online courses include exercises, projects, and collaborative assignments. The rich learning environment features tutorials and courses with audio lectures, photo materials, discussions, chat rooms, readings, illustrations, and video.
- What do you mean by "anytime, anywhere?"
- "Anytime, anywhere" education means that you do not have to be at a specific location at a specific time or date. Online learning takes place, for the most part, where and when you choose. This could be early in the morning or late at night at home, during your lunch break at work, when the kids are finally sleeping, or when you are traveling. UMass courses are rigorous and require you and your classmates to complete work by set deadlines, but you get to choose the times and location that suit your schedule.
Online courses are characterized as ’asynchronous’ - not time-dependent. Our courses do require 2 ’synchronous’ sessions, either face-to-face or online using Centra Symposium software.
- How much time does an online course require?
- Although in most cases an online course mirrors its on - campus counterpart in terms of subject matter covered, homework, and research, studies have indicated that online students do spend more time on their course work. This is due in part to students’ enthusiasm for participating in class discussions. Generally, an online student should plan on at least 6-8 hours a week of work to be successful.
- How important are writing skills in an online course?
- Excellent writing skills are critical in an online course. A student must be able to communicate effectively with his instructor and with the other students. The instructor will be basing some of his assessment of student work on the quality of the writing skills. Much communication is done via e-mail and students need to be able to craft wording in such a way as to minimize misunderstandings and incorrect interpretations of the intended tone of the communication. Online students in a threaded discussion are expected to be concise, clear and to have well-researched their comments.
- Do I need to be a computer wiz?
- No, but you should be able to use email, use the web for research, send file attachments via email and participate in threaded discussions.
- Are these "real" courses?
- Online courses at UMassBoston are taught by resident faculty, adjunct professors, and experienced real - world professionals. The courses meet the same stringent academic requirements as traditional on - campus courses. Unless otherwise indicated these are credit-bearing courses and are considered residential courses.
- How do I interact with my professor?
- Instructors answer email questions, participate in online discussions, and personally evaluate assignments. Instructors also update course content to insure that courses stay on the cutting edge. Instructors keep scheduled "office hours" each week. Interaction with the instructor is an important aspect of a quality online education. NOTE: You may meet with your professors in a scheduled face-to-face session or speak directly to them during a Centra Symposium session.
- How do I interact with the other students in my class?
- You will be able to communicate with other students and with your instructor through email. You will also be able to post questions and comments to your course’s threaded discussions. This forum allows you to hold virtual conversations with other classmates and your instructor, without having to be online at the same time. Students are encouraged to work collaboratively, to utilize peer-to-peer learning techniques and to work in teams. The Centra Symposium software used by UMB enables students to collaborate on online projects using audio and visual capabilities.
- What is a "degree completion" program?
- Our program is designed for students who have completed 90 credits toward a bachelor’s degree, the equivalent of at least three years of college, but stopped short of completing their degrees.
- Who can be benefit from this program?
- Students who have not been able to complete their undergraduate degrees and wish to do so now. Upon completion of this program you will have a BA Degree in Community Studies from the College of Public and Community Service at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
- What is Community Studies?
- The Community Studies major is an academically challenging program that examines human communities, their histories and cultures, their identities and values, institutions and economies, as well as their problems and prospects. The content and method for this interdisciplinary major are drawn from the social sciences as well as humanities, i.e. public policy, ethnic and global studies. In addition to the "Community Studies" content provided by this major, the program stresses skill development in the areas of academic research, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and academic writing.
This degree is offered online jointly by the College of Public and Community Service and the Division of Corporate, Continuing and Distance Education.
- What is your current student body like?
- We have a terrific and diverse group of students in the program. Currently, we have students representing 20 different states and some international students, as well. Our students range in age from their early 20s to their 60s. The average of the students admitted in Fall 2006 is 34 years old.
Most students in the program have attended at least two colleges in the past.
Some of the majors that students in the program had previously studied include: social psychology, business, political science, music, journalism, liberal studies, communication, anthropology, art and history. As you can see, it’s a wide range!
Most of the students in the program work full time. Many are also parents.
- How large is a cohort?
- A cohort is comprised anywhere from 25 to 100 students. From there, a cohort’s courses will be divided into sections that will accommodate the larger numbers.
- How will my previous courses transfer in to this program?
- To be transferable, the course must be the equivalent of 3 or more semester hours and the grade must be a C- or higher. Once accepted into the program, students will receive a Transfer Credit Evaluation Form from the Admissions Office informing them on how their credits were transferred and correlated.
- What are the application dates?
- For admission into the Fall cohort, we stop accepting applications on July 1st. For Spring entrants, application acceptance dates close January 1st.
- How do I apply to the Online BA Degree Completion Program?
- If you are a new student to UMass Boston, you will need to file an undergraduate application form. If you are a returning UMass Boston student, you will need to complete the readmission process and apply for an intercollegiate transfer to this program. If you are a current student here at UMass Boston, you will also have to apply as an Inter-College Transfer.
If you have questions about the Application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office at 617-287-6100.
- May I take the Degree Completion program, but select a different major?
- At this time, the Degree Completion program offers only one major in Community Studies.
- If I have more than 90 credits, can I take fewer courses and still get my degree through this program?
- In order to earn a degree from UMass Boston, students must complete a minimum of 30 credits.
- If I have fewer than 90 credits, may I still apply?
- No, we won’t accept applications with less than 90 credits. However, you can take individual open enrollment online courses through the Division of Corporate, Continuing and Distance Education to bring yourself to 90 credits, if you wish. Credits from other accredited colleges will also be accepted.
- How long does it take to complete the program?
- The courses are scheduled in an ideal cycle plan. If you follow the plan as a full-time student, you will finish in 4 semesters — Fall/Spring/Summer/Fall (or Spring/Summer/Fall/Spring). This cycle averages out to about 1 year. It is expected for students to go through the program as a cohort group.
Students may opt to enroll as part-time students and complete the program in 8 semesters, rather than 4. This usually averages to about 2.5 years. Part-time students take fewer courses each term and follow a different cycle plan. Students are encouraged to check in with advisors in order to select the appropriate courses to take each term.
- Can I complete the program in less than 4 semesters?
- No. The courses are offered in planned cycles and only a certain number of courses are offered each term. The courses are also organized to insure that students have the requisite skills they need to progress from the entry courses to the concluding courses.
- What is the cost of the program?
- The current costs (as of 2009) for the program are as follows:
- $345 new student fee
- $960 per course
- $150 commencement fee
Financial aid is available for eligible students. For more information about Financial Aid, you may also contact the University Financial Aid Office at www.umb.edu/students/financial_aid/. The first step in applying for financial aid is to file a FAFSA form. You may access FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
- Will my degree show that I completed an online program?
- No, there is no distinction on the final transcript or the diploma between our online and resident programs.
- What is the graduation process?
- After successfully completing all the required courses, you need to file graduation intent with the Campus Registrar’s office. Note that there are deadlines for filing and there will be a graduate fee. Deadline for Fall graduation is November 2nd and deadline for Spring graduation is February 14th.
- What learning management system does UMass Boston use?
- Online courses are supported by Vista 4 (Black Board/WebCT). For more information about online issues, go to: http://ccde.umb.edu/dl.