Congratulations on considering graduate study! Considering an advanced degree or certificate is an important step, professionally and personally, and your approach to continued learning should include a critical assessment of your commitment and interests. Graduate degree and certificate programs require commitment, strong time management skills, discipline, initiative, and the willingness to take responsibility for success and/or failure. When considering an online program, you will need ample supply of these characteristics in addition to the ability to learn in a virtual environment. An online program is not for all students. When considering this program, take the following expectations into account:
- You never have to physically meet on a Virginia Tech campus; however, remember that the VTMIT program is part of the Graduate School and the entire Virginia Tech university community. You will be expected to familiarize yourself with the Virginia Tech website, especially with regard to policies and procedures of Acceptable Use Guidelines, the Graduate Honor System, the Graduate School, the Registrar, and the University Bursar. Expectations of graduate students working online are no different from those of students attending class on a VT campus.
- To be successful, you will be expected to allocate ten and fifteen hours per class outside of "class" time to read, study, and complete assignments. More time may be required for large projects. Some assignments are group projects while others are designed for students to work on individually.
- You will be expected to have regular access to an up-to-date computer that meets minimum hardware and software requirements for the program. You will be expected to also have a back-up plan for accessing a second computer should any technical problems arise. High-speed access is not required but it does make it easier to download files and participate in the voice-over-IP (CentraOne) sessions.
- Factors to keep in mind while considering an online program include your personal interaction and communication preferences. For example, will be you be comfortable interacting with others primarily through email, chats or threaded discussions? Students in the VTMIT program are located around the globe. Faculty office hours, study sessions, lectures, and Q&A sessions are all conducted electronically. For many students, interacting with others around the world is an exciting feature of a web-based program.
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