FAQ Page

Web Courses

Career Enhancement Courses by Gatlin Education (Non-Credit)

Q: What is a WEB course like?

A: Convenient: In a Web-based course, you have access to the teacher, your classmates, and all course content right on the Internet! You can learn from the comfort of your home or office at times that are convenient to you.

A: Collaborative: In a Web-based course, you access lessons, receive assignments, communicate with your instructor and peers, and enter into group discussions from the course Web site. Most participants find the degree and quality of peer interaction to be surprisingly high! The instructor leads, guides, supports, and assesses you as you progress through the course.

A: Complete: All instructional materials and assessments are delivered directly to you on your PC. Course materials may contain readings, presentations, illustrations, animations, audio or video, links to related Web sites, or references to outside readings and activities. Web-based courses have additional tools for turning in assignments and communicating with your instructor and classmates.

Q: Why should I take a computer-based course?

A: We know that most of you lead very busy lives! And access to higher education can be difficult, particularly given time, travel, and weather-related constraints. That's why distance learning exists - to provide convenient access to continuing education. Wouldn't it be nice to "attend" class after work, after the kids go to bed, while away on a business trip, or on the weekend, from the convenience of your own home or office? That's what distance learning is all about!

Q: What courses are offered?

A: Are you interested in accounting, technology, office management, web development? We have a wide variety of course offerings. Check our Distance Learning Catalog to find courses that interest you!

Q: Do you offer the exams that these courses prepare me for?

A: No. Some of our career enhancement courses are designed to help you prepare for a certification exam offered by an outside industry or professional organization. Those exams are not offered by CWU and are not a part of these courses. If you successfully pass such an exam, you will be awarded a certificate or credential from that business or organization.

Q: How do I enroll?

A: Registration can be initiated either online or by telephone. Visit our Distance Learning Catalog for course descriptions and registration. Find the course you want and click "Register." When you register online, you will receive a confirmation e-mail letting you know how to make payment, which completes your registration. Then you will receive the Web course login username and password by e-mail. Or call 1-800-720-4503 to register by phone.

Q: What kind of reception have these courses received?

A: Students have been very pleased with these courses! We know that you have many choices of providers for career enhancement courses like ours. We chose to partner with Gatlin Education to provide our courses because Gatlin is very highly regarded throughout the U.S. Furthermore, CWU academic departments have reviewed and approved these courses. If they weren't high quality and excellent values, we wouldn't offer them. Please write to let us know about your experience once you've completed a course!

Q: Can I receive college credit?

A: No. These career enhancement courses are not available for CWU credit. You will, however, receive a certificate of completion upon successful completion of a course.

Q: When can I register?

A: Register at any time. We offer these courses throughout the year.

Q: Is there a deadline for completion?

A: Yes. You get one year to complete the course.

Q: Will you be offering these courses again next quarter? Next year?

A: Generally, we continue to offer all the courses year-around. Occasionally a brand new course is added to the catalog of offerings, or an old course is updated, so check back periodically.

Q: How long will it take me to complete the course?

A: If you are working on a course full-time, you might complete it in a matter of weeks, but if you are also working and can only devote an hour or two at a time to the course, it will take longer. An estimated number of hours for completion is listed for each course ( http://www.cwuce.org/distance-learning), though naturally times vary widely from one individual to the next. You may take up to one year to complete the course.

Q: Are these undergraduate or graduate courses?

A: Neither. These courses do not bear CWU credit. However, a certificate of completion will be issued to you upon successful completion of the course.

Q: Can I register online?

A: Yes, from the Distance Learning Catalog. Select the course you want and click Register to enroll for either credit or clock hours. At this time online payment is not available, so you will be instructed to call our 800 number to pay by credit card or to send your payment by mail.

Q: Do I need to be admitted as a CWU student before I can register for these classes?

A: No. The Office of Continuing Education works a little differently in order to accommodate non-traditional students. You can go ahead and register for a Web class. You'll get a message that says you need to call our 800 number to complete your registration. When you call us, you'll make payment by credit card (or mail) and we'll ask you some questions to complete your enrollment paperwork.

Q: I only have a few weeks to get the class I need for my job. Is this type of course a good way to do this?

A: Yes, this is one of the best avenues for quickly obtaining knowledge and skills for career enhancement. Go ahead and register online for the class or classes that that meet your needs - at http://www.cwuce.org/distance-learning. You will receive the login information to your web class as soon as we get your payment, and you can work as quickly as you want. Upon your successful completion of the class, we will mail you the certificate of completion as your proof of course completion.

Q: How do I get a copy of my CWU transcript?

Q: How can I get a copy of my grades?

Q: Can I drop a course after I've started it?

Q: Is financial aid available?

A: For answers to these and other questions about registration, records, and access, see the General FAQ Page.