How does an online course work?

eConcordia's online credit courses are cross-listed with Concordia University. Therefore, all our online courses meet the academic requirements in effect at the University. Our professional development courses draw from both internal and external content and expertise that reflect high-quality education and cutting-edge technology.

Our courses are structured on asynchronous learning models. This means that you do not need to schedule specific hours of the day to attend class. The course material is posted online and is accompanied by various multimedia visual aids such as dynamic graphics and video content.
All assignments and exams as well as discussion board participation throughout the term are accessed via the students’ eConcordia portal. All final exams for credit courses are scheduled and held in class at Concordia University.

Who can take an online course?

If you are comfortable using a computer and have regular access to a computer that has a reliable Internet connection, you can take our online courses. Some courses may require that you have additional software required for the course installed on your computer (for example, Microsoft Office software if you are taking a computer course online).

How much time should I expect to spend on the course material on a weekly basis?

Credit students should expect to spend an average of four to six hours each week for each course they are taking. Please note that the time spent on each course is dependent on the course material itself as well as the rate at which each individual can learn the material. Therefore, four to six hours is an estimate only and should be adjusted based on your ability to learn the material. Weekly planners are available for each course to assist students in planning their study time accordingly throughout the term.

Will I interact with my Professor, Teaching Assistants and fellow classmates? How so?

Through our interactive courseware, you will have an opportunity to communicate with your fellow classmates, your Teaching Assistants and your professor. Communication is fast and easy when using our discussion boards, e-mail, and in some courses, the telephone. Teaching is highly interactive, with ongoing feedback, assessments, and monitoring.

I was registered last semester for a course and I already have a username and password. Do I need to register again?

The answer is yes. Every semester, you need to reactivate your account in order to have access to online courses for the current term. In order to activate your course for the current term you will need to go to www.econcordia.com and repeat the registration process. Select the registration link, enter all required information and you will be provided with a username and password for your courses for the term.

Some eConcordia courses require payment for the online material (instead of purchasing a textbook). Your online credit card payment will be completed during the username and password retrieval process. You can pay for the eBook at the beginning of the semester for credit courses.

What if I want to transfer credits?

eConcordia courses can be taken even if you are not a student at Concordia University. You will, however, have to confirm with your department that the course(s) meet the criteria for your program. You will need to apply for authorization to have credits transferred to your school through the following website: www.crepuq.qc.ca.

How long does it take to complete a course?

The majority of our online courses are offered on a one-term basis. The winter term runs from January to April, the summer terms vary from May to June, May to August and July to August. The fall term runs from September to December.

Professional development courses do not necessarily follow the academic schedule; however, they do have their respective timelines. A student taking a professional development course and not following the regular academic schedule will have access to the course material for a 13-week period starting from the date of payment.

What is the difference between credit courses and professional development courses?

Credit courses are in partnership with Concordia University. Students have to meet deadlines and write exams as they would do for any other "regular" university course. Once you successfully complete the course, you obtain three credits for it.

Professional development students can register at any time for a 13-week period unless they are interested in receiving a letter of completion for the course.

When registering for a professional development course with eConcordia, you have the following options:

Option 1 (Auditing): Students following this option can register and start the course at any time. This option includes access to the course content for a 13-week period during which time students will be able to study the course material at their leisure. Assignments and quizzes will be available to students if they wish to complete them. A Teaching Assistant (TA) will be available to answer general questions.

Option 2 (Letter of Completion): For eConcordia to grant a letter of completion, students must follow the same 13-week schedule as the credit students. The start and end dates for each semester follow the Concordia University calendar. Professional development students following this option must submit all assignments, take all quizzes, write the final exam and obtain a final grade above sixty percent in the course to receive a letter of completion. The final exam will be held during the university final exam period but will be scheduled at a different time and location from Concordia University students.

Students following either of these two professional development options will not receive Concordia University credits for the course.