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Course & Coursework

Home Courses and Coursework

Credit Hour

The credit hour is the basic unit of academic credit. Amberton University defines a credit hour in terms of work expected of students in the achievement of established learning outcomes. As traditionally defined, a credit hour has two components—direct faculty instruction as well as out of class student work throughout the term of the session. All Amberton University courses are three credit hours. For campus courses, students will receive approximately four hours of direct faculty instruction per week for ten weeks and will complete at least three hours of out of class work for each hour spent in class, for approximately 140-160 clock hours over the length of the session. Distance learning courses and shorter intensive courses will have the same learning outcomes, comparable assignments, assessments, and expectations of student achievement as traditional campus based courses as evidenced by course syllabi.

Course Syllabi

Prior to the beginning of registration for a session, the University makes all course syllabi for the session available through the University’s web site (www.amberton.edu). A student should NOT register for a course until he/she has carefully read the course syllabus. Minimally, a course syllabus identifies: (1) course prerequisites, (2) texts and materials required for the course, (3) the course outline, (4) assignments and grading criteria, (5) instructional delivery methods used, (6) methods for contacting the instructor, and (7) where research resources are available.

Course Guide

Assessment & Course Competencies

Amberton University uses an assessment system to evaluate all University academic programs. The system involves the use of software programs that allow University faculty and administration to evaluate the quality of learning as well as the effectiveness of teaching that occurs at Amberton. As part of this system, Amberton University provides its students an opportunity to review course content in more detail than provided by most institutions. In addition to the expected course description, the faculty has developed competency statements for each course offered by the University. These statements enable students to evaluate, in depth, the content and competency level of each course. In addition to the course-specific competency statements, the following general education competencies have been identified that are applicable to all course offerings. Upon completion of a course, the Amberton University student is expected to be competent in: • COMMUNICATION: The application of effective speaking and/or writing principles and techniques appropriate to the discipline. • CRITICAL THINKING: The application of skills of critical thinking (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) to solve problems and to support statements of beliefs and opinions. • COMPREHENSION AND APPLICATION: The linking and synthesizing of information learned in the course to the greater body of knowledge related to the discipline. • ETHICS: The incorporation of appropriate ethical standards to discussions, interpretations, and personal use of information related to the discipline. • INFORMATION LITERACY: The application of technology effectively in conducting class related research. The Undergraduate and the Graduate course competencies are located in the respective degree level sections of this catalog.

Student Attendance

Regular and punctual class attendance is expected at Amberton University. In case of absence, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the professor as soon as possible. If a student intends on withdrawing from a course, it is the student’s responsibility to follow the university’s policy on formally withdrawing from a course. Attendance in a lecture course is defined as punctual arrival to, and engagement in, an entire lecture class session. A student in a lecture course missing more than 20% (two class periods for weekday classes or one class period for weekend classes) of the class meetings and not keeping up with course assignments may be dropped at the discretion of the professor and Amberton administration. Attendance in a Distance Learning course is defined as any submission to the course management system within the enrollment dates of the course, any required submissions outside of the course management system within the enrollment dates of the course, or initiating any communication with your professor regarding an academic assignment. A student in a Distance Learning course is required to actively participate in the course and submit course assignments timely as described in the course syllabus. A student not meeting these requirements may be dropped at the discretion of the professor and Amberton administration.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using another person’s work as your own. Plagiarism is a violation of the University’s code of student ethical conduct and is one that is taken seriously. Amberton University operates on an honor system, and honesty and integrity are essential characteristics of all who are associated with the institution. All Amberton University students are expected to abide by the honor system and maintain academic integrity in all of their work. Amberton University and its instructors monitor student work for plagiarism and reserve the right to submit such work to technology-based anti-plagiarism services and applications at any time.

Life-Learning Experiences & Portfolio Credit

Amberton University is receptive to the idea of awarding academic credit for learning acquired through non-collegiate experiences. By definition, non-collegiate experiences will be considered as learning that has resulted from experiences occurring while the individual was not enrolled in an educational institution for academic credit. Non-collegiate learning may be considered for transfer if such work is documented and submitted by means of the portfolio. By definition, the portfolio is a concise and explicit document that clearly identifies non-collegiate learning that merits academic credit. The awarding of academic credit for non-collegiate learning is restricted to verifiable learning. Students interested in the submission of a portfolio should review the Handbook for Preparing A Portfolio for the Academic Assessment of Learning Experiences, which is available on the Amberton University web site. The awarding of portfolio credit is restricted to undergraduate credit and to disciplines offered by the University. The following guidelines govern all non-collegiate learning that is awarded credit by Amberton University: • Non-collegiate learning credit is considered transfer work and will not satisfy the residency requirements for a degree. • After three years of non-enrollment at Amberton University, transfer work is deleted from Amberton University records. • The awarding of portfolio credit is restricted to undergraduate credit only Individuals interested in submitting non-collegiate learning for possible transfer credit via the portfolio should direct their inquiries to the Academic Dean. Title IV Federal Financial Aid funds cannot be used to pay for fees charged in the submission of a portfolio.

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