GUIDED SELF STUDY DEGREE PROGRAMS

Designed for working professionals who are at least 25 years of age with a minimum of two years of work experience. Bachelor, Master's and Doctoral degree programs require you to successfully complete all of the courses for the courses which will be aided by syllabi, problems and text books. You complete the exams in the privacy of your home and mail or fax the answers. An instructor will be available to offer help, grade your exams and guide you throughout the learning process. You will also be required to complete a Senior Research Project.

PRINCIPLE IDEA

The International University guided self study programs are designed for adults with work experience. TIU targets the substantive areas of the traditional Christian university curriculum that will enhance student learning.

TIU offers degree programs ranging from a Certificate Program to the Doctoral levels.  A brief description of each program follows:

Honorary Doctorate, A Cause to be Honored

An Honorary Doctorate is entirely legitimate and allows the title conferred to be used like any other. The degree is awarded to those who have demonstrated an Honoris Causa, or cause to be honored.  This program is offered only to a select group of highly accomplished individuals. Please inquire as to the restrictions as well as proper use of this degree.

You assist in designing your own degree

TIU does not require a battery of core courses before the student may study his or her area of specialization. Therefore, the student may begin by studying the area he or she is interested in immediately without first having to work through several courses that may be totally unrelated to the major. A total of thirty credit hours in a specific area of study are required to major in that area.

As a student of TIU, you are encouraged to assist in your curriculum selection (you know your own strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else). Each numbered course listed receives five college credits upon successful completion of the study.

In lieu of an Undergraduate Thesis, Masters Thesis, or Doctoral Dissertation, the equivalent amount of course work may be substituted. Should the student decide, however, to write a research project, he or she will receive five credits for the research and an additional ten credits for the completed Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation.

It is important to note that before commencing any work on papers, approval of the project must be granted by the Faculty Review Committee. The subject may be selected from any approved topic of your choice. All topic submissions must be made in writing to TIU.

We also will evaluate approved educational programs taken at other institutions.  Many courses are pre-approved for college level credits.  If you have a particular area of interest, please let us know, we have a worldwide network of affiliated colleges.

DEGREE ACCEPTANCE & RECOGNITION

The value of any degree is subject to many circumstances, conditions and needs.  Most universities and colleges have their own specific criteria as to  recognition and acceptance of transferred educational credits.  Therefore, any questions regarding the above should be directed to those authorities responsible  for making such judgments.

Important Note . . .
Students should check with the appropriate agencies involved with licensing in their home states or country for questions regarding any professional certification.  TIU does not grant licenses or credentials.

The Value of a Traditional VS. A Non-Traditional Degree

*Reprinted with permission of Best Publications from, Best’s Guide to Non-Traditional Education

In 1978 the results of the first large survey on the value of non-traditional degrees were published by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. This survey of thousands of students with degrees from both accredited and un-accredited schools was designed to answer the following questions, among others:

• Do holders of non-traditional degrees have any particular problems in getting
  better jobs, or in admission to traditional graduate schools?
   

• Are holders of non-traditional degrees happy with their degrees?
   

• Is there any significant difference between holders of accredited, and un-accredited traditional degrees?

 Non-Traditional Degrees and Jobs

In a survey of top personnel officers at 81 large corporations, the overwhelming majority felt that, yes, education was important, and that a non traditional degree was just as useful as one from a traditional school with “a strong reputation.”  As the report said these findings “run counter to some popular beliefs” yet the “survey data strongly suggest that employees.... as a group are not overly concerned with institutional reputation, and that external degree holders should not find themselves denied opportunities in employment settings because of their degrees”.

 Non-Traditional Degrees and Higher Education

Two of the crucial issues studied here were the importance of accreditation, and how well prepared non-traditional degree holders were to undertake higher degree programs.

Approximately one fifth of  the people who earned a non-traditional bachelors degree decided to go on to a higher (masters or doctorate) degree.  Of these, 97% were admitted  by the traditional graduate school of their choice.  Out of every 100 successful applicants, only three reported some problems because of the lack of accreditation of their degree: another three percent reported some problems because of having a non-traditional transcript, or because of having received credit for life experience. 

But 94% experienced no problems in grade school admission because of having a non-traditional and/or unaccredited degree.

In the matter of how well the non-traditional degree prepared students for further work in their field, here are the student’s own evaluations.  Compared with a traditional degree, the non-traditional degree was:

 

	Better	Same	Worse
Subject content	44%	49%	7%
Study skills	48%	43%	9%
Overall performance	57%	42%	1%

In other words, 99% of the holders of non traditional degrees felt that their degrees was as good as, or better than, a traditional degree. 

Summary and Conclusions

From this very extensive survey, it seems apparent that an un-accredited non-traditional degree is an extremely useful and valuable commodity, whether for employment, job advancement, or further educational pursuits.  When surveyed, an average of two years after completing their non-traditional degree, more than three-fourths of the people felt a significant increase in their status and respect had resulted,  and a vast majority  had already gotten either a better job, or a significant promotion or pay raise in their old job.

Source:  Sosdian, Carol P. and Laure M. Sharp.  The External Degree as Credentials:  Graduate’s Experiences in Employment and Further Study, Washington D.C., U.S. Department of Health Education and Welfare, 1978)

DEGREE & COURSE INFORMATION

All courses numbered 100-490 can be taken for undergraduate credit.  Courses numbered 500-690 are upper-level courses to be taken for graduate credit.

Below is a listing of the various programs offered by TIU, their course levels, and the total credits required for each.

Undergraduate Programs

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