The Student Experience
From the application process to your last course and beyond, we at University College will provide you with an unparalleled learning experience. This section gives you the opportunity to read about what you can expect from various aspects of our program.
The Degree Completion Experience
The focus of this program on where to find information, how to synthesize different types of information, and how to apply it to real world problems. Our "philosophy of education" is that information becomes useful when learners are deeply engaged with teachers and with each other in applying knowledge to the work of organizations and the challenges of daily living. The famous philosopher Alfred North Whitehead complained about "inert ideas," that is, "ideas that are merely received into the mind without being utilized, or tested, or thrown into fresh combinations." Our philosophy for this program is well summed up in Whitehead's observation: "Education is the acquisition of the art of the utilization of knowledge." For each course it becomes necessary to generate thoughtful descriptions of learning outcomes - what the student is going to take away from a course. To achieve these outcomes, instructors then need to select just the right subjects, topics, readings, films, cases, problems, and other materials to be studied. That is why we have assembled a team of subject matter experts, librarians, instructional designers, assessment specialists, and technology-wise instructors to design each course.
Having the right information: essential knowledge, challenging ideas, useful concepts - is the important starting point for an outstanding course. The process for engaging students in the consideration of that knowledge is also essential and depends on the selected learning outcomes. Although it may be necessary from time to time to introduce a topic or explain a challenging concept through the presentation of information, the traditional "lecture" will be used sparingly. Instead, students will be given- in class and online - case studies, problems to solve, situations to resolve, decisions to make, and probing questions to answer. Sometimes students will work alone, crafting a personal position or suggesting their own creative solution to a problem; at other times, students will work in groups to address issues posed to them or will function as teams to pool their talents in completing more complex projects. In either case, they will be engaged actively in the learning process to learn "the art of the utilization of knowledge."
This kind of teaching places special demands on students as well. The presumption for every class is that students have read or viewed assigned materials and will be prepared to use what they have learned to solve problems, engage in question-and-answer inquiry, or make recommendations for cases. Preparation is assumed; but students will also need to be eager to participate, and willing to take a stand. They must be ready to learn from the instructor and each other. They will be expected to bring in examples from their own work environments and to apply what they are learning to those settings. Above all, they must be open to new ideas and willing to have cherished assumptions challenged. The old game of jumping through hoops and putting forth minimal effort won't work because the goal is for students to take charge of their own learning in the context of their present life. The "art of the utilization of knowledge" is cultivated through a learning process that is engaging, interactive, collaborative, and reflective.
The Writing Experience
Employers, particularly upper level managers, will tell you that one of the most valuable workplace skills is writing. All communication skills are important - reading, writing, speaking, and listening - but excellent writing is usually identified as the key to career advancement because it is closely related to clear thinking and persuasive argument. If you can show that you can analyze and understand complex information, develop strong arguments, and express yourself clearly and concisely in writing, you will stand out and play a major role in your organization. In the University College Undergraduate Degree Completion Program we want to give you the opportunity to learn the kind of writing skills that will help you become an effective writer. In fact, we think this is so important that we expect you to begin your program of study with the Writing Workshop. The Writing Workshop is worth 4 hours of credit. Students will receive a grade. Students may re-take the Workshop at any time during the course of study, or consult the online version - in whole or in part. Once you have completed the workshop, you then move on to other Common Learning Courses. These include Effective Communication, which further develops your writing skills and adds instruction in spoken and visual communication.
Why does everyone take the Writing Workshop? Because it is specially designed to re-introduce you to skills essential for successful university study as well as workplace writing. But what you learn throughout your programming at UC is not just "academic." It is also important for your career development and your confidence in the workplace. We have planned the undergraduate degree completion program at DU with the clear aim of focusing on knowledge and skills of expression that bring university study and workplace experience closer together. What will you learn in the Writing Workshop? A set of skills that form the basis for how you acquire knowledge in any field and how you develop that knowledge creatively and effectively:
Reading and interpretation
Finding an argument and thesis of a text
Summarizing and paraphrasing
Grammar, punctuation, and mechanics
Connections between writing and critical/creative thinking
Study skills, including exercises in Writing to Learn
Connections between writing and career success
E-mail communication and computer-based writing skills
The Common Learning Experience
The courses in the Common Learning curriculum are ten carefully selected courses in five areas where we believe you can sharpen the skills and develop the understanding and conversancy with essential knowledge that you need for living effectively in the information age. We agreed that these should not be courses offered at an introductory level. These are not 101 anything, but a challenging (yet doable) set of interdisciplinary courses for people who have been out in the world of work and are highly motivated. Interdisciplinary simply means that the perspectives and materials of several disciplines have been brought together in the design of each course. For example, the course titled "Communication Arts" is not just a writing course. Although it emphasizes writing, it also explores other forms of communication, including live presentations supported by visual materials. Interdisciplinary in this case means drawing on the disciplines of speech communication, English, theatre, art and design, and digital media studies. The Common Learning Experience will help you learn how to learn; so that you can go on to learn anything you want or need to know.
The Experience with your Major
Your major builds on the Common Learning Experience, but provides a way for you to specialize and to pursue some of your own interests. In most colleges and universities the major is synonymous with studying in an academic discipline such as psychology, history, or biology. Your major in this program is interdisciplinary; it draws on several disciplines especially useful for exploring the topics in that major. You will become conversant with key knowledge in the arts and sciences disciplines, but it will be packaged in a way that helps you to examine key topics in an interdisciplinary field of study. Remember, the overall purpose of this program is not to "fill you up" with all the knowledge from a specialized field, but to help you learn "the art of the utilization of knowledge." The chief purpose of the major, therefore, is to provide opportunities for learning how to draw on various liberal arts disciplines for addressing the real world problems of organizations and society.
What should you consider in making this choice? You may have started on a major in your earlier studies. Remember that those courses that transfer will be treated as electives. You don't need to try to match any of that work with your new major in this program. You may find that you are still interested in some of the same subjects that you studied earlier; and if that is the case, you may want to select a major that continues some of your earlier interests. On the other hand, your current needs and interests may be completely different; and if so, you have a chance now to select a rather different major. You may want to examine closely your present workplace needs or career aspirations to see which major might best prepare you for where you want to go. Keep in mind that none of these majors provides an industry-specific specialization such as marketing, human resources, or project management. We believe that such specializations are more appropriate at the graduate level, and we hope that you will continue in your studies with us or elsewhere. Each major does provide, however, a slightly different set of skills and knowledge relevant to different aspects of the world of work.
The International Experience Experience
One of the areas of study in the Common Learning Program is designated "Global Studies." This is also one of the interdisciplinary majors. It almost goes without saying today that every well informed person must be conversant with global issues and trends, as well as skilled in being able to understand sensitive cultural differences, important local traditions, and the economic and historical forces that have shaped a particular country or region. Learning to think and act globally requires an unusual set of skills that can be gained partially by conducting library and Internet research on a particular country or region, but more completely by actually experiencing the culture of another country. With this in mind, the faculty recommended that the two courses on global studies in the Common Learning Program "Global Issues" and "The Past as Prologue," be linked together, that is, offered at the same time; and that the courses include an overseas experience.
The plan for the delivery of these courses, therefore, is to offer them only in the summer, to require enrollment in both courses simultaneously, and to embed within the two courses an experience in another country. Each course will begin with extensive online reading and conversations as preparation and will include nine days - a week and two adjoining weekends - at an overseas site as well as follow up reflection on the experience. The assignments include two research projects: one on a global issue, the other on a country or region of the world. The goal is to integrate online, classroom, and on site learning into the ultimate short-term overseas learning experience. Although we expect most students to be enthusiastic about the opportunity for this unique overseas experience, we know that others may have questions. Here are some questions and answers: I have had many opportunities to travel overseas, so why do I need this? Traveling overseas for business or pleasure is different from digging deeply into the political, economic, and cultural past that has shaped a country's present. The purpose of the experience is to learn how to learn about another country on site in an efficient and effective way. My work won't ever require me to travel abroad. Your present work may not be in your future work; and if you don't travel, people from overseas may come to you. It is a rare organization today that has no international contacts. Airfare and lodging for this experience is covered in your normal tuition for the program.
- Contacts
- Tuition
- Program Structure
Choose one of five interdisciplinary majors, all of which involve advanced study in arts and sciences subjects relevant to the careers of working adults. Regardless of the major you choose, you’ll begin your program with a series of courses that all students take called the Common Learning experience. It is here where you develop advanced skills in writing, critical thinking, problem solving, and scientific reasoning, as well as conversancy with key issues of the day - the intellectual skills needed for creative and strategic thinking in a global environment.
These courses should not be thought of as introductory courses—they are not 101 anything—but rather as a challenging set of relevant interdisciplinary courses offered at an advanced level.