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FAQs (Frequently asked questions)Who awards Calamus degrees? Calamus Extension College Limited provides distance tuition for overseas degrees and other qualifications. The degrees are overseas awards (not UK or US awards) and are awarded by Calamus International University. Further details are given throughout this website. For detailed information on the status of the College and the University please click here Attendance and Duration of Study The prevalent mode of study for Calamus courses is by distance learning and the degree will be granted as soon as all academic, administrative and financial requirements have been met. Students learn at home and assignments do not normally need to be proctored. All assessment is continuous and, for most degree courses, there are no final examinations. Most Bachelor's students will have a portfolio of prior achievement and, after evaluation and award of transfer credits, will be able to complete the degree within one year. Master's, Doctorate and Professional Doctorate students are also encouraged to complete within a year if their study timetable and research plans allow. The tuition fee for a degree programme is valid for an 18-month period of registration and if the degree has not been completed at the end of that period, further tuition/registration fees are due each semester until the final assignment has been completed. For administration purposes, the first additional semester will begin 18 calendar months after the date of first registration, and any additional fees will be due one calendar month in advance of that date. The registration period for a combined programme will be advised on enrolment and acceptance. Courses at local centres Calamus does not have any classroom-based courses in London, UK. Various colleges and institutes of higher education affiliated to CIU may offer programmes involving classroom or other local study in other countries. These centres do NOT offer the full range of CIU courses. They offer courses designed to meet the needs of the local region and will use different course units and materials from our central distance learning courses. The Course Unit System used for CIU degree programmes The main mode of taught study for CIU distance learning courses is modelled upon a number of successful American distance learning institutions who use the "read a textbook, write a paper" method. Each course module (identified by a unique course number in the course catalogue) will normally need one core textbook (which the student purchases), though further reading is recommended and reading lists are indicated. The student will read the textbook, in conjunction with other suggested reading and sources, and carry out written assignments based on the text. A typical set of course instructions and questions is given in the prospectus. Some courses will be organised differently and require an extended integrated essay, a practicum report, or other practical or written work. For some courses, a set of tutorial notes may be given in lieu of a core textbook. The standard course module has a value of three credits, though the value of a course module can vary from two to six or more credits depending upon its complexity or level of study. The average student pace will be to submit one three-credit unit per month. This pace will allow adequate time for the student to do further reading and enquiry. Credit transfers from other approved courses, professional workshops, etc. will be assessed by assigning credit equivalents. American and similar university credits will be accepted as indicated on the transcript. Other evidence of study presented for evaluation will be assigned a credit value. This will be done on an individual basis, taking into account the applicant's entire portfolio and degree aims, and a particular credit evaluation for one student does not set a precedent. If it is hard to establish the exact number of hours of previous study, a notional credit value may be assigned to the applicant's whole portfolio. How To Find Details of Course Units
Please see our separate Course Unit List publication which lists the vast majority of the distance learning course units on offer (more are always being developed and we consider special requests from students for extra topics).
We are putting the full description and required textbook details of every course unit on-line –for the index page to this information please see our web page www.unicalamus.org/courses_index.htm (NB- there is an underscore between “courses” and “index”.) We have nearly 300 unit descriptions on-line and are expanding the number of entries. APL and Challenge Examination A "challenge examination" system is offered for all taught course units in order to aid experienced and knowledgeable students to demonstrate their expertise. Any course unit may be "challenged" by an extended essay on an approved relevant topic. However, the challenged unit can only achieve a pass or "credit" grade and cannot be marked according to the Grade Point Average (GPA) system. Degrees by Ongoing Assessment Are you embarking on a non-degree programme of professional education which will last one or more years and which will comprise one or more distinct qualifying courses? Would you like your studies to lead to a degree? By registering for a suitable degree before completion of your professional course, all of your work including workshops, seminars and ancillary study can be counted towards a degree, and if your studies are sufficiently academic in scope, and the awarding body has been accepted as an affiliate of CIU, no extra work may be necessary to graduate at the appropriate level. If you are interested in this option, please write to the Calamus Extension College Ltd. with full details of your existing or proposed course of professional study. Therapy and complementary medicine training colleges, and training providers in other fields, are also welcome to apply to Calamus Extension College Limited for recognition of their courses so that each student will have the automatic right of credit transfer to an appropriate CIU degree. Calamus Extension College Ltd will be happy to advise on how your courses can be used towards specialised distance or classroom-based degree programmes to fulfil local needs anywhere in the world. Registration for Joint or Combined Degrees (Submatriculation) It is possible to register for joint degrees, e.g. BA/MA or MA/PhD, or even for BA/MA/PhD. Doing so will afford a significant saving in tuition fees. Joint or combined registration is ideal for professionals with significant credit transfer who have comparatively little work to do for the first degree. The first degree must be completed within 6 months by combination of credit transfer and any remaining required course units. In the event that more time is needed to complete the first degree, additional tuition fees may be charged. Combined programmes may not be available for all combinations of subject and degree, and in the event of your stated combination not being available, an alternative programme will be suggested. Degree Certificates and Transcripts The diploma parchments for the overseas CIU awards will be issued to highest standards of production and quality of materials, and are tastefully worded and designed, bearing the official seal. The European A4 paper size is used for all standard diplomas. Frames to suit are readily available in Europe. Outside Europe, students may have custom frames made locally or we can advise on sources of frames. Duplicate certificates may be desired for display in both home and office. Duplicate certificates will be clearly inscribed "Duplicate" on the reverse. Substitute certificates for use upon change of name will also be issued, subject to return of the original certificate plus notarised copy of change of name (e.g. marriage certificate, deed poll or legal change of name). Duplicate transcripts are also available. For details of fees for duplicate or substitute documents, please see scale of tuition fees. Rights Reserved, Jurisdiction and Trading Terms All contracts with Calamus Extension College Limited will be subject to the law of England and Wales. This prospectus or web-based material and any supplementary catalogues or course unit lists are for information only and do not constitute a contract. The publishers of this information reserve the right to, at any time, unilaterally make changes to catalogues, prospectuses, brochure information, courses, modules, programmes, regulations, contracts of employment, tuition, fees, existing agreements and any other operational procedures solely at its discretion and without any prior notice. For details of Calamus Extension College Ltd. terms of trading click here Security Statement To read our Security Statement click here Degree Grades and Grade Point Average CIU modular taught courses are graded according to the American Grade Point Average (GPA) system for the purposes of transcripts and calculating the award of honours. This system is as follows: Grades A,B,C and D are passing grades. Each letter earns a "grade point" which goes towards calculating the student's average performance. The scale of points is given below: A = 4.00 (Excellent) Other grades may be indicated by letters on the transcript, and the letter codes used by CIU are as follows: CR = Credit for courses by Challenge and Transfer S = Satisfactory, applied to Bachelor's project reports, Master's theses, Doctoral dissertations, Practicums and Internships *NG = No Grade (unsatisfactory performance) *P (Pass) or *Fail (for certain courses) *W = Withdrawal, indicating an official withdrawal from a course by the student
Anti-discrimination and Non-denominational Policies All courses are open to any suitably qualified student without consideration of race, colour, religion, sex, or nationality. We encourage the enrolment of students with disabilities. The degrees awarded by CIU are either earned academic degrees or honorary degrees. Although degree courses are offered in religious, spiritual and esoteric subjects, those degrees are not "religious degrees" and are open to students of any persuasion. Calamus Extension College Limited and CIU are not owned by or controlled by any religious organisation, and no student or member of faculty will be asked to subscribe to any particular belief. We do not offer any form of ordination or ministerial qualifications. The term "religious degree" is normally an American one, since in the United States, private universities can often claim exemption from state regulation of universities by claiming that their degrees are "religious" in nature. That process does not apply to universities outside the USA. Availability of Textbooks and Reading Material Most course modules are based upon set or recommended reading with one or two core textbooks. It is the student's responsibility to acquire a copy of the textbook. Most texts may be purchased from major bookstores, Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. Used and bargain books can be found at www.abebooks.com or www.abebooks.co.uk The academic advisor will advise the student on availability of textbooks or suggest alternative studies if a book cannot be obtained. Many books may be reserved through local public libraries in the UK, USA, Canada or other English-speaking countries or may be found in local university libraries, which the student may apply to join. We does not sell books directly or provide a postal lending library. At the time of writing, we can recommend a UK bookstore that will ship books to most countries of the world for a fixed shipping charge per book. This way of buying books may suit people who cannot buy on the Internet. Students are also encouraged to make use of the Internet for research, and our resource pages will provide a good start. The Academic Advisor Each student will be assigned an Academic Advisor who will often, though not necessarily, be the course director of the specific degree course. The role of the academic advisor is to formulate a specific programme of study in agreement with the student's aims, to suggest additional or substitute learning materials or resources where necessary, to mark or assist in marking coursework, and to generally provide academic guidance. Where necessary the academic advisor will consult with the Academic Dean of CIU or other senior faculty member Students may communicate with their academic advisor by whatever preferred method of communication is agreed: normally by e-mail or post. Student Records and Confidentiality Confidentiality of student records is maintained according to the data protection laws of the locations where data is kept. No student information may be released to third parties without written confirmation from the student by post or fax (not e-mail). All such requests must be made to the London administrative address. Upon graduation, the taught degree student will receive one complimentary official transcript. On written request from the student accompanied by the appropriate fee, duplicate transcripts will issued, letters and/or transcripts confirming the degree produced and sent to the student or, under the appropriate seal, to other institutions. English Language Competence English is the language of Calamus Extension College Ltd. and distance learning students may use either British or American spelling conventions. All students must be competent in written English unless they are studying via an affiliated institution which conducts its teaching in a foreign language. Students whose native language is not English will be accepted if they (a) were brought up with a fluent English-speaking parent (b) have a school certificate in English Language (GCSE, O- or A-level or equivalent), (c) have studied or worked in an English-speaking country for at least one year (d) have the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English or an equivalent qualification. If there is any doubt about a student's competence in English, the University may set a qualifying essay or enrol the student conditional upon taking an IELTS or TOEFL test and scoring 6.5 in the IELTS or 580 in the TOEFL. If the student receives a lower score, he or she may be enrolled subject to taking extra local English classes and to a retest during enrolment at CIU. Students may receive CIU credit for a successful IELTS or TOEFL retest. Students intending to submit theses or dissertations should note that a high standard of English will be required in order to pass. Most of our materials are prepared in British English. British practice is generally not to use full stops (periods) after titles such as "Dr" and after each letter of a degree abbreviation (MBA). American practice is to use Dr. and M.B.A. Either is acceptable. We are currently exploring the possibility of offering some courses taught in foreign languages via affiliated centres. Good Standing Students are expected to remain in good standing: that is, to submit work in timely fashion, to advise their tutor and/or administrative contact promptly of any likely prolonged absences from study, to submit work of an acceptable standard, to pay tuition and other fees in time, and to act responsibly in all communications. Gross or repeated breaches of good standing (including issuing uncleared cheques) may constitute grounds for dismissal from the programme of study. Visa Matters Calamus Extension College Ltd. is a distance learning college and does not have any classes in London. Since we do not take full-time or part-time classroom students, we cannot help students to obtain a student visa for the UK. We cannot help people to obtain a visa for any other country. The UK has now imposed stricter controls on student visas. Calamus International University is an overseas (non-UK) distance learning institution only, that works with Calamus Extension College. The University cannot assist with visa applications for any country. Calamus website and .edu domains We are sometimes asked why we do not have a .edu domain. The answer is simple: because we are not a United States university and therefore cannot apply for one. Most .edu domains are owned by US universities with government recognition; a few may be owned by private universities that are not accredited, but now only officially-recognised US universities and colleges can reserve a .edu domain. Outside the US, colleges and universities may use various top-level domains, and so do some commercial education providers who are developing and hosting on-line courses for fully-accredited traditional universities. The UK uses .ac.uk for government-accredited institutions. CIU is not a UK university and uses the top-level domains .org and .ws which are open to any organisation in the world. The presence of an academic suffix such as .edu does not always imply government-sanctioned accreditation, and its absence does not always imply its lack. Please study the actual accreditations of any university you are interested in to ensure the type of institution is what you are seeking. The Academic Appeals Procedure for academic matters Please see Prospectus for further information.
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