Frequently Asked Questions
Online Courses - Distance Education Courses
Open University and College Level Courses for distance learning or online learning; adult education, professional development and vocational training.
Q. When can I start my course?
A. Anytime of the year
Q. If I do a shorter course first can I get credits towards a certificate or diploma later?
A. Yes. We will assess previous studies to give you appropriate credits. Doing it this way will probably take a little longer and cost more in fees though.
Q. Do we get a discount if two of us enrol together?
A. You may claim a 5% discount on fees if you both enrol in courses at the same time.
Q. Can I pay in installments?
A. Yes, however full payment up front is the cheapest option.
All courses can be paid in two installments, some can be paid in three or more. (Please refer to the fee schedule for more information)
Q. Do we get a discount if we enrol in a second course.
A. Yes, you may claim a 5% fee discount when you enrol in a second course.
(This does not apply however to the second stage or part of the same certificate or diploma.)
Q. What happens if I have to stop studying for a while?
(eg. Get sick, go on holidays, have a baby).
A. Apply for an extension. It's okay to take a break and start up your study at a later point in time. Just let us know.
Q. Do I need any extra books?
A. You are supplied with all "essential" references. Extra books are always useful though, especially for special projects. Tutors will advise you what to buy if you decide you would like to get any extra books.
Q.
How do I contact my tutor?A. Write, fax,
email or phone the school. Leave a message if your tutor isn't available and they will phone, write or fax back; whatever suits you.
Q.
How long does a shorter course (ie. 80-120hrs) take to complete?A. Commonly no more than one year. Some students finish in less than 6 months.
Q.
How long does a certificate take to complete?A. Commonly around 6-9 months, if studying full time; or around two years if studying part time. With dedication, part time students can complete a certificate in one year.
Q. Why Choose to study with ACS?
A. Many reasons:
- Service –We put the student first; tutors and administration
can be contacted 5 days a week, 50 weeks of the year, by phone or email. - We provide better Learning – we’ve been delivering distance
education for over 3 decades, and we understand how people learn by home study.
Our methods are unique, developed through trial and error always with our focus
squarely on helping you learn. - Up to Date –We are continually revising and updating
courses. We listen to our students feedback and we always improve the course if
a change is identified that will help significantly improve your learning. - More Choice –Graduates need a set of skills that will set
them apart and give them an advantage over competition in the world after
study. We have a wide variety of study choices, and give you lots of options to
choose different paths throughout a course. Doing this has meant an ACS
graduate is always different to other ACS graduates; and that difference has
made our graduates very successful. - No Short Cuts –You can’t take short cuts in learning; and
that is why our courses are often longer than what you find elsewhere. Sure,
anyone can study a short course, quickly sit an exam (while the information is
fresh) and pass; but if you want to really understand something and retain it,
that takes time. - More than just Learning Facts –We understand that success in
the workplace or business requires you to not only learn things, but also build
networks, understand the commercial world, be able to solve problems, communicate
with people, and have an attitude that will function in your chosen industry.
Our courses are designed to develop all of these things.
Q. Do you offer Degrees?
A. You can get credits in a degree through our studies; but apart from the RHS M.Hort; we do not deliver full degrees.
Q. How important is a Degree?
Not as important as most people think. Country Life Magazine in the UK (Aug 25, 2010, pg 31) commented: " We have too many under educated students at too many second rate universities." "For years now, we have subscribed to the myth that at least half the population needs a university education. Yet, in the real world, employers long ago discounted degrees from many institutions,,,," We believe learning is critical for a successful career; but that what you know is 100 times more important than the qualifications you hold.
Q. How does recognition of the school compare with other colleges?
A. Exceptionally well; but different. We do have a range of different accreditations; but avoid government accreditations (as they increase costs greatly and limit the emphasis we can place on learning). We are internationally recognised by the International Accreditation and Recognition Council (IARC). In addition, in many respects we are more widely recognised, due to the fact that we have been established and trained students for so long, through all states, and many overseas countries. (Most other colleges tend to operate only in one state or region, and may be poorly recognised outside that area.) Close involvement with industry has seen many employers sponsor staff through our courses, and many graduates develop strong careers as leaders in their respective industries. We also have developed links with colleges in a number of countries through an international affiliates network. Many of these articulate studies, giving cross recognition to each others students. See the affiliates involved by
clicking hereConsider the following extract from the Higher Education Editor of the Australian Newspaper (Wed Oct 27, 2010) - "A Skills Australia paper released last week calls for a rethink on how the sector is funded, managed and delivers training. It says completion rates are poor, training is often poorly focussed, and skills too often wasted in unrelated jobs"
These are comments about mainstream, government endorsed education! If you watch the Times Education Supplement in the UK, and the Australian Higher Education supplement, you will often see comments that show mainstream education is not as good as what many people assume.
Like most things in life; you get what you pay for; and government funded education that is under government interference and funding cut backs will inevitably have problems. We give you what you pay for. Compare us to that?
Q.
How does recognition of the school compare with other colleges?
A. We are internationally recognised by the International Accreditation and Recognition Council (IARC). In addition, in many respects we are more widely recognised, due to the fact that we have been established and trained students for so long, through all states, and many overseas countries. (Most other colleges tend to operate only in one state or region, and may be poorly recognised outside that area). Close involvement with industry has seen many employers sponsor staff through our courses, and many graduates develop strong careers as leaders in their respective industries. Several other highly regarded colleges across the world actually partner us, or license delivery of our courses
Q
How Important is a University Degree?
University degrees are not as important as most people think. Consider:
*UK Unemployment rate Jan 2011 was 7.9%
*The Daily Mail newspaper on 27/1/11 reported 20% of uni graduates unemployed.
We rarely hear of graduates having difficulty getting a job; and when we do, it is almost always that the person is very fussy about what they want to do; or perhaps has other serious issues (eg. health, mental issues, disability, etc)
Sure, a qualification might get a little interest from an employer on a job application; but when it comes to selecting an employee, a boss will make their choice based on presentation in an interview, communication skills, problem solving skills, networks the person has developed, knowledge of their industry, etc.... in other words, what they learned and how they have been able to apply learning is far more important than any qualification!.
Studying and Learning are what matters most. Getting a qualification is just a side issue.
Q.
What do people think of this school? Here are just a few of the many unsolicited comments we receive every year:
"Having completed the Advanced Hydroponics Course I have since gone on to open my own successful hydroponics retail shop, now in it's third year of trading."
Ted.
"Thanks for the tips you gave me on the journalist job....I was given the job of writing an article....the experience was great, and at least I will be published for the first time."
Gavin, studying Journalism.
"My time with ACS has been extremely beneficial....and I would recommend the school to anyone seeking to study by Distant Education."
Victor, studying Adv.Certificate Applied Management (Horses)
"I complement you on the quality of the course. It has helped me immensely, already, in my job with the local council's parks & gardens department."
Lester, studying Certificate in Horticulture-Landscaping."...it is very informative and worthwhile. I am glad I started the course. Of the many available from different schools, this offers the best value for money."
Sonia, studying Human Biology.
"This course was one of the best."
Rhonda, studying Garden Centre Management.
"Clients...that have completed courses with the ACS that we have spoken to, have all been extremely happy. Leanne & myself are more than happy with the assistance we receive and the prompt attention."
Dynamic Workforce Solutions.
"I wanted to study herbs but I could not find a course at my closest TAFE, and travelling to Adelaide each day was not practical. The ACS offered the best option - study at home, at my own pace and still tutor contact when I needed it. I was undecided in the facet of herbs that I wanted to specialise in - that was until I completed an assignment to produce three herbal products. My tutor tested my products and encouraged me to set up a small business making and distributing a range of natural herbal cosmetic and household products. His guidance has helped me establish an interesting and profitable business from my studies."
Catherine, studying Certificate in Applied Management.Q.
How do I do workshops?
A. If your course requires attendance at workshops; alternative arrangements can be made in your country; however there may be additional expense. We can appoint an appropriately qualified person anywhere to work through curriculum documentation supplied by us, to satisfy the requirements set down in a course.
Q Why people prefer to employ our graduates?
"We aim to develop a stronger theoretical foundation than many other vocational colleges; but at the same time more interaction with the real world than what is often found at universities. This approach puts graduates in a better position to adapt quickly to a rapidly changing world than either traditional university or vocational education."
"Our courses are different to the standard courses run by the vast majority of universities and colleges. This gives our graduates a different mix of knowledge and skills: and that makes them more competitive than other graduates."
"We do not depend on public funding (unlike most colleges and universities); so the quality of our service does not deteriorate when government funding comes under pressure."
"We maintain uncompromising standards of service and student support which are increasingly being degraded in many other colleges"
WHO WRITES COURSES AT ACS DISTANCE EDUCATION? ....How are our Courses Developed?
Many people make the false assumption that we operate like most universities or colleges, assigning just one person to write courses in a particular discipline. This is not the way we operate though.
All courses are written by a team!
People who are involved need to be on the same wavelength -and that sometimes poses a problem. I've found that it takes a fair bit of time to get someone to the point of being able to work with us as part of a course development team. They usually start out as a tutor; then move onto course counselling ... after perhaps 6 months, they then have an understanding of how we approach things.
When we start developing a course, there are always at least three people involved (a coordinator; an external academic specialist in that discipline from Australia, and another academic from the UK). Sometimes there are more. We focus first on getting lesson structure and lesson aims set down and approved by those three or more people. After that, we move on to set tasks and assignments: again with more than one person being involved. After that we extract material from our data base (over twenty million words; books, articles, courses etc) which we own, that may be relevant. We then assign different lessons to different academics to work on....instructing them to leave gaps where they encounter things that would be better handled by another staff member. The whole course grows organically like this until we have a first draft. This is then worked over by an academic in Australia, and another in the UK.
After that we launch the course...but we continue to seek feedback from students, staff and affiliates, and assign the course for reviews and sometimes expansion of notes, as we go along.
After a few years, there may have been twelve different horticulture experts who have contributed to an horticulture course (for example).
This development process is unique, and I believe, a real strength with our school.
You can see the current academic staff at: http://www.acsedu.co.uk/Info/About-Us/Staff.aspx (But remember, over the years, others who no longer work for us worked on courses. Over 300 different academics have contributed to course development in the past).
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[22/05/2012 15:49:40]
