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Distance Learning
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Considering Distance Study
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Considering Distance Study
Note: General information about the distance program can be found in our distance guidelines.
Is Distance Learning for me?
Many students approach distance learning with great trepidation. The determining factor in student success is determination to succeed. Nonetheless, you may find the following tools helpful for assessing your readiness to embark on distance learning.
What courses can I study?
BCV currently offers six ACT approved courses of study by distance.
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How much does it cost to enrol?
2010 Fee Schedule
Most subjects also require students to purchase one or two additional textbooks. There are a number of additional administration costs that may be incurred if you enrol late etc. Return to the top of the page
How much time will I need to commit to study?
Generally you will need to commit between 7 and 9 hours to each lesson in a subject. This commitment includes time spent interacting with the learning materials, reading, essay research and exam preparation. For an average subject containing 12 lessons you can therefore expect to spend between 84 and 108 hours in study. This is only a rough guide, of course, and can vary from subject to subject and student to student.
Important semester dates for the year ahead is contained in the attached academic calendar.
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What equipment will I require?
The distance materials you will use throughout the subjects you enrol in are supplied on a CD. You will find everything you need on the CD. To read the CD you will need an IBM-compatible computer (sorry, it may work on a Mac, but we're unable to provide support at this time) with an installed CD ROM drive and software that will allow you to open and read Portable Document Format (PDF) files, Rich Text Format (RTF) files, and HyperText Markup Language (HTML) files (otherwise known as web pages).
A web browser such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Opera can be downloaded freely from the internet.
Adobe Acrobat (for reading pdf files) can be downloaded from the internet for free.
Word processing software (such as Microsoft Word and WordPerfect) are available from commercial vendors, but OpenOffice Suite also provides you with the ability to open and create RTF files, and can be downloaded from the internet for free.
You will also need to be able to interact with other students and BCV by email. This requires you to be signed up with a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) and to have an email client (software) installed locally on your PC. Commercial email clients include Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express. The Eudora Email client can be downloaded from the internet for free.
Please note the software provided on the CD is included as a free service to students without warranty. Installation and configuration is undertaken by the student at their own risk. This software (only available for the Windows operating system) includes:
- Internet Explorer 6 Web browser
- Netscape Navigator 7 Web browser
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
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