Fresh from being designated an accredited institution by the University Council of Jamaica, Northern Caribbean University (NCU) is expanding opportunities for working people to achieve higher education from the comfort of their homes.

Through its Distance Education Centre, NCU is offering eight associate and baccalaureate degree programmes and 27 professional development courses using online instructional methods. The programmes are scheduled to commence in two weeks; on February 18.

The degree programmes include a Bachelor of Science in Management Studies with emphases in marketing, human resource, entrepreneurship and hospitality as well as tourism management. There is also a bachelor and an Associate of Science in Business Administration, among other offerings.

The duration of the professional development courses ranges from six weeks to 15 weeks. Some of the courses offered include business communication in writing, conflict resolution and management, grief counselling, event planning, and supervisory management.

“The onus for learning is on the student in an online environment. Therefore, we ensure that the material presented to students is in its simplest form,” explained Sheldon Cardoza, director of distance education at NCU. “All online classes are recorded to facilitate individuals who are unable to join in at the time of the class. This is to make the online process a smooth and easy enough experience for the students,” he added.

Commenting on the tuition fees for distance education offerings, Cardoza said that the expenditure represented a good investment if individuals want to make themselves more marketable. The cost for the degree programme is inclusive of miscellaneous fees for library, administration, and identification cards.

“The fees for these online courses have proven to be cost effective, as they save other daily expenses — such as transportation — as students relax and learn at home,” Cardoza pointed out.

“Some of these courses require that students visit the nearest physical location of NCU for a final examination; but the entire programme has been developed to facilitate individuals learning from the comfort of their living rooms,” he added.

Cardoza noted that in similar to its face-to-face counterpart the distance education curriculum promotes the integration of faith and learning, thereby positively impacting the attitudes of participants. And in respect to the institutional accreditation status, he emphasised that course instructors have to adhere to strict standards.

The minimum requirement for admission to the online professional development courses are three Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) passes (which may sometimes be varied depending on the maturity of applicants and their years of experience). The online degree programmes, meanwhile, require a minimum of five CSEC passes, including English Language.

Applications for all programmes are now open, the university says, and application forms can be obtained at www.ncu.edu.jm or at www.apply.ncu.edu.jm. Those interested may also visit the Facebook page at NCU Distance.