The mission of University of Northern Virginia Online is to provide educational opportunities for adults whose schedules or distance from the campus make it impossible to attend on-campus classes

Online e-Learning provides a convenient method of course delivery as it not constrained by time and/or location, Students have accessibility to instruction at anytime from anywhere, and the convenience of taking a course via the internet, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A UNVA e-Learning credit course is the equivalent of the on-campus section of the same course in terms of objectives, content, rigor and transferability.

Course outlines, textbook information, and other course materials are available to students by accessing the specific course website shown with each UNVA e-Learning class. Courses will also include electronic discussion groups which require ongoing student participation.

Current and prospective graduate students can now register for UNVA online courses utilizing the Internet.

Before registering for an online course, the student must have successfully completed a Distance Education Orientation (“DEO”), which is regularly scheduled soon after the midterm exam period of each academic term. This schedule provides ample time for students to prepare themselves for online courses. DEOs are tutorial classes, specific to the delivery platform currently in use, and are conducted by UNVA’s experienced online faculty and technical personnel.

Online courses begin and end on the same dates as the traditional classes taught at the university. Under extenuating circumstances, however, students may secure the approval of the Department Chair to begin and/or end an online course on a schedule different from that for traditional classes.

UNVA’s distance education program offers asynchronous courses that allow independent online study. This means students can access course content from UNVA’s computer system and interact with the instructor at different times and places.

Instructors assess online students the same ways they do traditional students, that is, by assigning homework, written exams, quizzes, research projects, etc. Scheduled live chats serve as open discussion sessions in which all students can participate. During these sessions, students can ask questions about topics covered in the course, homework, term papers, exams, etc, These live sessions also permit the instructor to elaborate upon course topics, respond to inquiries and hold dialogues with students to facilitate their learning efforts.

Students can also contact their instructor outside the scheduled live chats by such means as telephone, e-mail or by scheduling personal meetings. In this way, a constant academic dialogue is maintained.

Students registering for UNVA online courses must meet the same admission and academic requirements, must observe the same policies and procedures, and have the same access to student services and activities as those students taking traditional classes.

An experienced online instructor discusses requirements peculiar to online study:

• Student identification
• Chat room: Class participation.
• Administration of exams
• E-mail: Outside class time communication.