Procedures for Students

Register for Certificate Courses

This checklist describes the sequence of steps needed to register for Certificate courses.

In general, communicate with the instructor (email addresses can be obtained from the faculty listing) if you have questions about the course content or getting instructor permission to register for the course. Communicate with the Certificate director swyckoff [at] cowc [dot] org (Susan Wyckoff) if you have questions about the Certificate in general or have problems that cannot be resolved by the course instructor or the registrar.

Selecting courses:

  • Check the course schedule on the Certificate in College Teaching Web site for the schedule and description of the course(s) in which you are interested. Please note that some courses have as a prerequisite CT 901 Seminar in College Teaching, and some courses may require instructor permission.

Pre-enrollment and Registration:

  • Despite the physical location (campus) where a Certificate course is taught, everyone taking it is registered at Worcester State University. The course is supported by WSU's Registrar's Office and course Web management system.
  • Registration is generally available no later than eight (8) weeks before the course is scheduled to begin, but may be available sooner. Please note that some courses (especially the summer offering of CT 901 Seminar in College Teaching) fill up rapidly, so early registration is advised.
  • All students must pre-enroll through the Consortium, and pay for all courses.
    • Pre-enroll through the online pre-enrollment form on this site. A pre-enrollment fee of $95 per student per semester, plus tuition (see below) are payable by credit card at the time of pre-enrollment. Have your card on hand before going to the pre-enrollment form.
    • Worcester State's Registrar checks for enrollment information with the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, then registers the student at WSU.
    • It is Certificate in College Teaching policy not to allow auditors in any courses.
  •  Once you are pre-enrolled with the Consortium and registered at Worcester State University:
    • Note that Certificate courses often operate on nonstandard schedules. Be sure to check the start date of your course.
    • If you are not a WSU student, a WSU account will be created for you within 24-48 hours of your registration at WSU. Please contact the WSU Help Desk (or 508-929-8856) for your WSU account credentials and account activation information. When contacting the Help Desk, please be sure to specify that you are a Consortium student. 
    • Many Certificate courses have WSU-managed course sites using the Blackboard course management system. These sites are generally not available until a few days before the course starts. 
    • Certificate courses are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Once registered, if your plans change, you must withdraw from the course by contacting swyckoff [at] cowc [dot] org (Susan Wyckoff) and the WSU registrar at jchaffee1 [at] worcester [dot] edu. Failure to withdraw from the course will not only prevent another student from taking your place but will result in your receiving a failing grade for that course.

Tuition

  • Current students, faculty and staff from Consortium member institutions pay a reduced tuition rate of $299/credit. Tuition for non-Consortium participants is $479/credit. (Because Worcester State University is the CCT program’s credentialing host, WSU current students, faculty and staff pay $265/credit.)
  • Students are responsible for arranging for reimbursement of part or all of tuition from their home institutions or employers, if applicable. There are many ways in which you may be able to cover your tuition costs.
    • If you are a graduate student, check with your department chair or academic dean for information about institutional tuition assistance.
    • If you are a faculty member, check with your department or institutional administration as to whether professional development funds may be available.
    • Check with the Human Resources department at your place of work about tuition benefits that may apply to you.

Tuition Refunds

  • If a student drops a course (by contacting the Worcester State University registrar at jchaffee1 [at] worcester [dot] edu and Susan Wyckoff at swyckoff [at] cowc [dot] org) within three (3) working days after the first class meeting, s/he is eligible for a refund of tuition. Dropping a course within three (3) working days results in no notation on the student transcript. The student should request a refund by contacting swyckoff [at] cowc [dot] org (Susan Wyckoff).
  • No refunds will be given beyond the first three (3) days after the start of this course. A grade of "W" will be recorded on the WSU transcript.
  • Pre-enrollment fees are not refundable.
  • Failure to withdraw or to complete the course will result in a grade of F on the student's transcript.

Getting your grade:

  • Instructiors will grade all students on WSU's letter grade +/- system.  Please note that Certificate in College Teaching policy does not allow auditors.
  • Transcripts may be obtained through a request to the WSU registrar’s office at WSU Registrar.