Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Thank you for your interest in the UMUC Europe Distance Education programs. If you have questions other than these, please send an e-mail message to the Distance Education Office.

1. What is Distance Education?
   DE is defined as a learning interaction that occurs between an instructor and students who are separated in space and time. The instructor and students do not meet in a classroom, but interact remotely from their separate locations. DE is nothing new; postal correspondence courses were first offered over 100 years ago. However, recent technological developments, in particular web-based computer conferencing over the Internet, have provided a multi-media environment for teaching and learning at a distance.
2. Why is DE needed?
   DE courses are not offered merely for convenience, but rather to provide an alternative for students who cannot attend traditional classes due to time and/or location constraints. Good candidates for DE courses are students whose work requires that they travel frequently; students whose work or personal situation demands that they be at a certain location during the time that classes are usually offered; and/or students at remote locations with severely limited opportunities for enrollment.
3. How are DE courses conducted?
   UMUC Europe offers courses via WebTycho, a web-based, interactive learning environment developed at the UMUC home campus in Adelphi, MD. WebTycho provides many elements of the traditional classroom: for instance, a discussion area, private study groups, student assignment portfolios, a grade book, student e-mail roster, etc. You can check out WebTycho at <http://tychousa.umuc.edu/>. Follow the directions to login as a guest.
4. What is meant by asynchronous?
   Asynchronous means not at the same time or not in real time. In an asynchronous DE class, the students and instructor "interact" at their own convenience by reading and responding to each other's messages in a computer conference. The computer keeps track, or threads the messages into an on-going discussion.
5. Is DE a kind of independent study?
   No, make no mistake! Distance education is not merely a correspondence course by e-mail. Through frequent interaction among students and the instructor, three to five times per week or more, a lively "virtual classroom" is created. If you "lay out" for any time at all, you'll soon fall behind and miss important information.
6. How is DE different from a regular course?
   An online DE course simulates a traditional classroom course, and online DE course interaction is sometimes referred to as taking place in the "virtual" classroom. A "cohort" group of students begins the course at the same time. The instructor distributes a course syllabus. Students study a textbook and other assigned readings, execute homework assignments, take exams, and write a term paper. The difference is that most interaction takes place through an electronic medium.
7. In a UMUC Europe DE course, is all interaction online?
   For the most part, yes. However, in some classes, the final exam must be taken under proctored conditions. The course syllabus will indicate whether the midterm and/or final exam is proctored or not.  For proctored exams, the instructor will provide further information.
8. What equipment do I need to take a DE course?
   To take a DE course students need to have graphical browser access to the Internet, which requires a computer, a modem, and an e-mail address. The most recent versions of either Netscape or Internet Explorer will suffice. Some courses are supported by videotape programs which require access to an NTSC VCR and TV monitor.
9. Will UMUC Europe provide the needed equipment for me?
   No. However, many of the UMUC Europe computer labs are online, providing students with access to the Internet. NB: You should not depend upon having online access through a UMUC Europe lab to attend a DE class. If the military were to withdraw online connection or direct removal of a lab, you would not be able to hold UMUC responsible for your inability to complete a class.
10. How long does a DE course meet?
    Nominally 10 weeks.
11. May I finish earlier than 10 weeks?
    In general, no. Most instructors prefer that students interact as a cohort group. If you need to complete a DE course early, you must request permission to do so from the instructor prior to beginning the course. You will need to present a valid reason for finishing early. In no case may a student finish more than one week before the end of the term. Since students may complete a DE course from anywhere there is a computer connected to the Internet, there are few reasons for needing to be absent from class.
12. What is the tuition for a DE course?
    The same as for a traditional classroom course.
13. Do DE courses "count" toward the 30 semester hour minimum degree (resident) requirement for an undergraduate degree?
    Yes.
14. When I return to the USA, may I continue to take undergraduate DE classes with UMUC Europe?
    Students may finish a course started with UMUC Europe. Upon return to the United States, active-duty military persons may continue to enroll in UMUC courses worldwide at a special global military tuition rate. See the UMUC home campus Web site for details.
15. Can anyone sign up for a UMUC Europe DE course?
    In most countries served by UMUC Europe, students must possess a valid ID card issued by a U.S. military or government agency and be assigned within the European theater of operations, i.e., at an APO AE address. In some countries, foreign nationals and others are permitted to take UMUC Europe classes. Check with the Maryland Field Representative at the Education Center on the U.S. military installation nearest to you.
16. Are there DE requirements other than a justifiable need to take undergraduate courses?
    Not really. Since all interaction is via the written word, students need particularly good writing skills.
17. How do I sign up for a DE course?
Follow these simple registration steps.

If we have not answered your question about Distance Education, please ask it now via e-mail. We welcome your inquiries, comments, and suggestions. Thank you for your interest in the UMUC Europe Distance Education program.

Last updated: 31 July 2009