How you’ll take classes

Once you’ve registered for classes, you’ll receive a user ID to access our learning management system – Classes*. Here you will find everything from information about your instructor and classmates to instructional materials, reading materials, homework assignments, discussion boards, and other course resources. You’ll visit Classes every week to access lectures, new assignments and connect with classmates. To get a better sense of what online learning is like at Pace, visit About Online Learning.

*Classes is Pace’s learning management system provided  as Brightspace by Desire to Learn 

 

Because our students live and work all over the U.S., discussion boards specific to each class give all students, regardless of where they are located, a chance to discuss course work and exercises with fellow classmates. Instructors often pose problems or questions on the boards, and students discuss solutions. In addition, since you’ll always have access to each discussion for your class – the boards are a great place to look for help if you need it. It is also through your participation in these discussions that your instructor will be able to assess how well you are learning the course work.

Email is the primary means of communication between you and your instructor. Your instructor will use email to send you announcements, notes and comments on assignments as well as feedback on quizzes, exams or other projects. You’ll use email when you need to communicate with your instructor on an individual and more private basis, and will also have the ability to communicate with any and all of your classmates this way as well. Addresses for your instructor and all your classmates will be listed under the Communication button in the courseware.

The courses are specially designed and typically offered in 12 – 15 week semesters to allow for the degree to be completed in a minimum of 2 years.

However, to allow for personal schedules, the program is flexible enough to accommodate students who wish to take only one course per semester or who wish to take a semester off with intentions of returning.

The Pace University/NACTEL programs are part-time.

There are three semesters each year that generally run as follows:

• The spring semester starts in January
• The summer semester starts in May
• The Fall semester starts in September

You can visit our Calendar to get a clearer picture of when each semester starts, and when you need to register.

• Access to courses three times each calendar year – spring, summer, and fall;
• Courses led by instructors with weekly assignments and deadlines;
• To spend between 12-16 hours per week on each course;
• To use a variety of media, including the Internet to access Classes – our courseware. Here you will find course materials and external resources, email and discussion boards for communication, traditional textbooks and, in some cases, streaming media to support lecture notes;
• Mid-terms, finals and group projects;
• Access to mentors and tutors ¬ who are either involved in the program, the telecommunications industry or specialists in the subject matter of a particular class.