Getting started at university can be challenging — before you can learn about the area that interests you, first you must learn how the university itself works. Here is information about the basics of New World University. Don’t worry, if anything is unclear, or if you have a suggestion on how we can make it more clear, just contact us and we’ll be happy to advise you or hear what you have to say.
Mode of Instruction
Depending on your location and preference, you may learn through a variety of ways, called “modes of instruction”:
- Classroom-Based Instruction: If you live in one of a number of cities around the world, you may study for a degree from New World University through a learning centre that offers a traditional classroom setting for instruction.
- Guided Independent Study: If you are a strong student, capable of learning with minimal interaction, you may be a good candidate for guided independent study. You will be provided with learning materials and a study guide, and when you are ready you take an examination to determine whether or not you complete the course. Tutors are available through an online forum to answer any questions you may have about the materials you are studying, so even though you are independent, you don’t have to go it alone. This is an extremely inexpensive way to complete your degree.
Note that you do not have to take all of your courses the same way. For example, if there are some where you feel more confident than others, you may want to take some through guided independent study and others through online study or in a classroom. The choice is yours!
Courses and Credits
In order to earn degrees and other qualifications from New World University, you will enroll in various courses. Each qualification has a list of courses that applies to the fulfillment of that qualification. Some courses are compulsory, others are optional.
New World University uses a systems of units to measure the academic credit accumulated by students. By completing different courses, you will earn various units of credit. Not all courses attract the same number of units of credit. As with most UK universities, 120 units represents a year’s worth of academic study, and most courses attract twenty units of credit, meaning six courses per year.
The following table compares the credit system used by New World University with that of the European Credit Transfer System and the semester-hour system used by most universities in Canada and the U.S.:
| System | New World/UK | ECTS Equivalent | North America |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit | 20 credits | 10 credits | 5 semester-hours |
Programmes and Qualifications
A programme consists of all qualifications at all levels available in a particular discipline. Click here to see our complete list of programmes.
When it comes to naming its degrees and other qualifications, New World University adheres to the Bologna Convention in general and the VUSSC Transnational Qualifications Framework in particular. Because students will vary a great deal on how much academic credit they have already amassed, and also vary on how far they wish to take their education at any given time, each year is both an entry point and a exit point. In other words, students may have previous qualifications submitted for advanced standing (transfer credit), and students will earn a different qualification for each year of study they complete.
| Years Completed | Qualification Earned |
|---|---|
| One Year | Undergraduate Certificate |
| Two Years | Undergraduate Diploma |
| Three Years | Bachelor’s degree |
For example, a student who already has a two year diploma may submit a transcript to gain advanced standing, and thereby complete a Bachelor’s degree in a single additional year.
Advanced Standing (Transfer Credit)
At New World University, we believe in academic rigour, but know better than to confuse strong academics with mere inflexibility. If you already have university-level education, or can demonstrate the equivalent, the time to your degree or other qualification may be shortened, in some cases significantly. Here are some examples:
- To those who have an Asssociate degree or two year diploma from a community or state college in a Commonwealth country, we offer a BSc in International Business Leadership where all of the credit from your degree is guaranteed to attract advanced standing and you can complete your BSc with a single year of additional study.
- If you have completed A-levels or the equivalent, this may hasten your path to a Bachelor’s degree by one year or more.
These are only examples. If you can demonstrate completion of formal education past the secondary level, you are very likely to receive advanced standing for it.
What we cannot offer is advanced standing for life experience. If you have relevant professional experience and believe it is the equivalent to one or more of the courses that apply to the programme that interests you, simply enrol in that course and request the examination right away. There are no minimum study times or maximum credit limits for any given period, so if you truly have the experience that corresponds with a great deal of credit, you can demonstrate it very quickly.
As always, if you have any questions, you are welcome to contact us.