The Department of Continuing and Distance Education provides educational opportunities for part-time, mature and evening students. It helps part-time day students through the admissions and registration process and aids them in obtaining needed advice and counselling. It assists Student Services with orientation activities for these students.

An evening credit programme consisting of around 20 courses each year, is offered during the academic fall/winter term. It is possible for students to earn the entire 120 credits necessary for a B.A. degree through this programme. Evening courses are offered each year in Moncton; courses are arranged in other communities, such as Truro, Parrsboro, and Sussex, upon request. In addition to courses in the B.A. programme, Commerce courses are offered to the business community. The Department will attempt to introduce new courses into this programme to meet changing demands of adult learners.

Intersession courses are offered during the period May - June, in Sackville and Moncton. These courses expand the offerings available to evening students as well as provide the opportunity for full-time students to take additional courses. Intersession six credit courses run four evenings or days a week for seven weeks in May and June; three credit courses run two evenings or days a week during this period. A few summer courses are offered during the month of July and early August. These run during the day, 21/2 hours per day for 3 weeks (three credit course) or 6 weeks (six credit course).

Credit courses are also offered in the newly opened New Brunswick Distance Education Network. These courses can be offered in all communities in which the Network operates. They can be offered during the academic year, in the spring and in the summer depending upon interest.

The Distance Education programme is offered during both the academic year and the summer. It allows students to acquire credits toward a degree at home. During the fall/ winter term, students are given the usual eight months to complete six credits; during the summer they have the option of completing these courses in four months. While most students register for these courses in September, January or April, the Department has an open registration policy so that students may sign up for courses at any time during the year.

The Department coordinates the Mount Allison contribution to the “Cooperative University Program on the Miramichi. This program, offered in partnership with St. Thomas University and UNB, provides a first year university program in arts, science and commerce to students on the Miramichi, to enable them to complete their first year of university studies at home. Mount Allison’s contribution is the offering of 5-7 courses in the areas of Science and Commerce. Courses in Math, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Computer Science, Intro to Business and Accounting make up the majority of Mount Allison’s contribution to this program. A very limited number of second year courses is also offered in this program, in the areas of Humanities and Social Sciences, to enable selected students to complete their second year of university studies on the Miramichi. Plans are underway to expand this program to other communities.

A First Year at Home Program is also offered in Moncton, New Brunswick. As in the Miramichi, the intention of this program is to allow students to take all of their first year courses in Arts, Science and Commerce while staying in Moncton. All courses in this program are offered by Mount Allison. The program is held at the New Brunswick Community College on Mountain Road and includes required first year courses in Sciences, Commerce and Humanities plus several elective courses. Seventeen courses were offered each semester in 1999/00.

A summer study program is arranged during the months of May and June in Hangzhou, China. This an inclusive, escorted study program at Zhejiang University during which time students have the opportunity to earn 12 credits (6 in Chinese language and 6 in History) while living in a university setting and experiencing all aspects of life as a student in China. The Director of Continuing Education accompanies the trip. Students spend 3 days in Hong Kong and Macau, 6 weeks studying in Hangzhow, and finish the trip with 4 days in Beijing; included during the 6 weeks in Hangzhou are 5 weekend excursions.

Non-credit courses, seminars and workshops are organized during the academic year and in the summer on a wide variety of topics. These are designed to provide educational experiences on a short-term, casual basis. Such courses are usually offered at the University but may be given in nearby communities upon request.

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