ONLINE LEARNING FAQ

ONLINE LEARNING FAQ

APPLYING

We are looking forward to welcoming you! You can apply by clicking the “Apply Now” button beneath your preferred course. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us via phone+44 (0)20 8126 0004 or e-mail [email protected]
All applications submitted to us are carefully reviewed, and you should receive any feedback and be notified regarding whether or not you have been accepted within 2 working days.
Each course would have a specified cut-off date indicated during the application process. Deadlines are usually September and January for each year. However, we accept applications all year round for courses starting on the next available starting date.
Yes, you will be asked to provide a full transcript of any previous qualifications. If your documents are not in English, you will be required to present your original documents accompanied by an official translation.
Yes, we do consider relevant work experience in some instances where the basic qualification criteria is not met. A detailed CV describing your relevant experience should be included with any application.
We encourage you to describe the nature and duration of work experience that is relevant to the degree subject in full detail. Our admissions team will be looking into your application and would come back to you for further information, if required.
You can choose to study a single course if it appears on our list of short courses. Our list is updated on a regular basis, so we encourage you to bookmark it for future reference. Once you enrol for a short course, you can then opt to further your studies later, if you wish. Many programmes offer a Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) and Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) option if you are unsure about committing to an MSc in the first instance.

STUDYING ONLINE

Our list of courses and programmes is on our website here. New courses and programmes are regularly added.
Studying online means that you can fit studying around your work and personal life. Since you do not have to travel to our campus, you can study with us while living anywhere in the world. Studying online also means you have to motivate yourself to study and manage your own time.
You will be notified of the dates your course will be made available online. Some courses offer an induction that can be started beforehand.
Our fully online courses have no requirement to travel to our campus. Some of our programmes are blended, meaning that they involve a mix of online and on-campus courses. Where this is the case, it will be stated in our prospectus.
Courses are delivered through a virtual learning environment and are designed specifically for an online audience. They use a range of activities including live online classrooms, videos, online quizzes, innovative online assessment, discussion boards, collaborative wikis, blogs, reflective logs, and personal journals. All courses will be accessed through a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and can be accessed through login details that we will provide to you before you start. Before your course starts there will be lots of guidance on how to use the VLE so that you are familiar with it before you start your course.
You may experience a range of different types of assessment during your studies. These may include essays, online tests and group work. Some courses may involve more formal exams which are taken at an exam centre.
Some courses may involve an exam. Where this is the case, you will be able to take the exam at a British Council exam centre. This may incur an additional cost.
Most courses will have course work to complete. At the start of the course, you will be made aware of all the course work, assignments and deadlines so that you can plan accordingly.
As soon as you know you are not going to make a deadline you should contact your course coordinator. There may be penalties for late submission. These will be explained as part of your course materials.
Occasionally, there will be synchronous sessions such as tutorials for your course where you will meet online with your tutor and classmates. Where you can’t be present, you will normally be provided with access to recorded materials for you to view at a more convenient time.
Most courses will have discussion boards and collaborative working tasks where you can interact with other learners on your course. But they could be anywhere in the world! Some courses may involve group work which will allow you to work alongside your fellow class members. Social media is a great way to find other learners on your course.

SUPPORT

Yes, all courses have an academic member of staff who serves as the course coordinator. Other staff, and in some cases external experts, also contribute to the delivery of the course. The contact details of the course coordinator will be available to you through the VLE, so you can contact them with course queries.
Course coordinators can be contacted by email or directly through the VLE.
Your tutor will contact you through the Aberdeen email address that we will give you. Personal email addresses will not be used, so if you prefer to use one, then set up an auto-forward from your Aberdeen account to your preferred account.
Yes, our libraries are fully available to you, just like for on campus students. If you are local, you can visit. If you are not local, you can still access the millions of books, journals and manuscripts through on line access. When you have access to the VLE, you will get full instructions and guidance on using the library.
Yes, just like our campus students you will have access to our Careers and Employability Service. They offer a comprehensive range of initiatives support your career including career mentors, interview practice, CV clinics etc. These can all be accessed through our VLE once you join us.
Our IT Service Desk is available to you 8am-5pm GMT (BST) or calls can be logged with them via an online portal or by email. They can assist you with problems accessing course material or downloading software that we offer. You will have to remember that some technical issues you will encounter may be caused by the equipment (PC, laptop) you have, but if we can help, we will. It is important to check the minimum technical specifications you will need before trying to study with us.
Yes, all our students, online or on campus, get a University of Aberdeen email address.
As a student of the University of Aberdeen, you will be given personal file space for saving your work.
Student Advice and Support team offers impartial and confidential advice and support on a range of issues that might affect you during your studies. Full contact details will be available through the Virtual Learning Environment once you start studying with us.
If you are finding it difficult to complete your studies alongside your other commitments, you may be able to take a break from your studies or reduce the number of courses you are taking. If you find yourself in this situation, you should speak to your programme coordinator to discuss your options.
Our Learners’ Toolkit is an award-winning resource that will be available to you as a student of the University of Aberdeen. The Toolkit has a wide range of advice, guidance and suggestions on current and future technology to help you with your studies.

FEES

All tuition costs are listed within the course description.
In order to manage your budget, you can pay for each course before you start studying it. That way, you can spread the cost of your programme over its duration for each year of study in two instalments, payable by September and January each year. Or you can pay for a year of study upfront.
Yes. Our electronic payments system accepts major credit cards.
New students we will be given guidance about paying for your first instalment. If you are already a registered student and are returning to continue your studies, you can use our electronic registration system that contains a payment facility for you to pay for your next course.
Yes, sponsors can pay your course fees. The payment terms are the same as for self-payments – a course must be paid for before it starts.
Our alumni can apply for a 20% discount to the fees of our online programmes and courses.
Textbooks are rarely used. If they are needed, you will be made aware. Textbooks will not be provided to you so you should order those in advance, before your course starts.
All the resources you require will be provided to you or will be signposted to you, e.g., original papers that are available online through our library.
If you decide to cancel your study programme before your course starts, we will refund you. Refunds are not given once a course starts. If you are registered to a programme and have paid up front, you will receive a refund for any of the courses you have not started.
The time you will need to invest will vary from course to course, and may also depend on your level of prior knowledge. For an average Master’s level (15 credits), it is expected for you to spend 10 hours a week, including both taught and self-study time.
Our online programmes have fixed start dates throughout the year. The Prospectus entry gives the start month for each programme and you will be advised of the specific start date.
If you want to take a break you can. However, you should let your course coordinator know and follow the procedure required to suspend your studies. When you are ready to re-start, you can join the next available start date.
If you are not able to complete the course in the expected time, you should discuss this with your course coordinator who can go over the options available to you.

TECHNICAL

You will access your course through a Virtual Learning Environment. That will be your access point to the course and all the resources and support you should require for your studies.
You will need access to a computer with a reliable internet connection and a pair of speakers or headphones.
You will get your IT account (username and email address) after you pay for your first course. It is important to pay for your first course before the course start date in order to get the username that you will need to access the course material in the Virtual Learning Environment so you can familiarise yourself before your course commences.
As part of completing eRegistration for the next year of your programme you will re-register your IT account.
No, Online learners do not need to use MyCurriculum at present. You will be contacted by the Online Team to discuss your course choices.
New Online students do not need to use eRegistration so should not access it.
If you are already studying online and are continuing your studies, we will give you instructions on when and how to access eRegistration to confirm your course choice and pay.