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AIU has developed a protocol to quantify and qualify an individual's professional background, as well as, their academic credentials, and grant academic credit to qualified students commensurate with their true level of knowledge.
Although AIU's criteria for granting a particular degree is generally the same as the broad majority of institutions, our practice of granting academic credit for "Life Experience" is just recently gaining acceptance in the academic community.
- Development of Course & Curricula
At AIU the development of course and curricula is a collaborative activity, conducted between the student and the Academic Advisor. Each student's curricula is unique, and developed as a result of the mutual efforts of the student, the academic staff and the academic advisor.
The supervising dean of academic advisors holds a doctorate degree in education with specialty in course and curricula design. The student's academic advisor works directly with the supervising dean in establishing the students curriculum.
- Review & Evaluation
After initial review and evaluation of the student's academic and life/professional background, by the Academic Committee, the student's academic status is defined. This definition establishes the approximate number of academic credit hours the university will grant the student toward the student's designated degree program. The student academic status is subject to change based upon the results of the student's course and curriculum research (C&C), which is the objective of one of the required orientation courses.
- Course Selection Process, Course and Curriculum Orientations Course (C&C)
To fulfill the requirements of the C&C Course, the student performs research, (using the Internet or other approved resources), to investigate and select courses from at least 2, AIU approved colleges or universities, offering the same degree level and discipline as the Student's designated degree program.
The student will select courses based upon the student's need to acquire the knowledge and master the objectives defined, in the course descriptions and objectives, as itemized in the course catalogs of such approved institutions. The student will be the initial arbiter of the courses selected. The student will compile a list of such subjects, sufficient to fulfill the credit hour requirement, as defined in the student's academic status report above.
The culmination of the C&C research course is the class session with the academic advisor. During this class, the student's courses and curricula will be established, and approved.
- Course Modification
In the event the Student discovers, while conducting C&C research a need for additional courses above the number defined by the Academic Committee in the student academic status report, the student will inform the academic advisor and the additional courses will be included in the student's curriculum.
Conversely, should the student fail to discover a sufficient number of courses to fulfill the number defined above, (in effect, the Student's level of knowledge includes all, or most, of the course objectives, of the courses generally required for the degree program), the student will select courses, sufficient to fulfill the number defined, and be permitted to challenge these courses. In this event, the challenged courses will appear on the student's official transcript, with the grade earned in the challenge.
By employing this paradigm, AIU facilitates the development of curricula uniquely matched to each student, and designed to accomplish the achievement of the designated degree in a most efficient and effective manner.
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