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Why Do your Internet Program in Astronomy on-line?
Internet learning gives added value to your learning.
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The first is that it allows students to participate in programs that are so specalised that they are not going to be offered by the local university. The Internet programs in Astronomy at JCU are such degrees.
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From the delivery university’s point of view, Internet delivery allows us to reach a sufficient numbers of students to establish economies of scale. We can, therefore, deliver a quality education product at a reasonable price to the student.
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In addition, learning by the Internet allows the student almost total flexibility in the times that you spent on the program. Students are not locked into traveling to and from the university for lectures at set times, and your learning can be done at home and in a time that suites you.
Why learn from Australia?
Learning from an Australian University has several advantages:
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The first is that Australia has a proud history as an education supplier. Australia has taken a major role in the higher education of this South-East Asia and Pacific region for the post WWII period
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Techniques of remote delivery are will established and understood in Australia. Special remote delivery challenges have been in existence in Australian schooling for most of last century with the “School of the Air” supplying education to children in the remote outback.
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Australian universities are world class. James Cook University is an accredited major Australian University.
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The Australian education system is efficient, which means that students get a quality product at a very competitive rate.
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At present, the Australian dollar is not strong against the major international currencies, and therefore an Australian degree is relatively cheaper than a degree that can be obtained in the USA or UK/Europe.
Why Astronomy from an Australian University?
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On-line Astronomy education was pioneered in Australia, and this Internet program in Astronomy is the result of that initiative.
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Astronomy is a very mature science in Australia, the legacy of the early pioneering work in radio astronomy that was done here. Indeed, astronomy is one of biggest sciences in Australia, if not the biggest. With this background, educational and teaching resources can be supplied to students world-wide.
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There is a professional Astronomical Society, the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA) and much general astronomy activity. The Australian skies are unpolluted and amateur and outreach astronomy is popular.
Before you get started - a comment on the type of degree being offered here.
We here at the Center for Astronomy are aware that there are many different types of degrees of different standard and standing that you can obtain. We know that some of these degrees are “bought degrees” that require no work from the student, have no academic standard and are of no real value in the community.
The Programs in Astronomy from James Cook University are NOT that type of degrees.
The JCU programs are a fully qualified specialist degrees that are run by a major university of international standing. The staff of the Centre for Astronomy are fully qualified and have recognized academic and research qualifications and reputations.
The James Cook University is an accredited national University and is a Member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities and a Member of the International Association of Universities (http://www.unesco.org/iau/). JCU is funded by the Australian Government and the Government of the State of Queensland.
The degrees in Astronomy are therefore quality degrees, and students should be aware that a high standard of achievement is expected. Grades will be given for all of the course-work subjects and these will reflect the students performance with respect to other students in the class and the expectations of the academic staff teaching the program. Students are warned that fail grades will be given to students who do not perform to a satisfactory level, and that progress towards the degree will necessitate the student doing that subject again if a fail grade is obtained. In addition, transfer to higher level programs will depend on satisfactory grades and research progress being obtained.
