Study Online

Horizons University offers a wide range of degrees that can be completed fully online. All our online degrees are offered in English (in exception of the Master in French). The online programs are completed fully online, and are self-paced. The highly qualified international Faculty are a “guide on the side” instead of being a “sage on the stage”, as they work with our students to facilitate their learning.

What is it like to learn online at HU?
• Online: When taking a degree at Horizons University students complete their degree 100% online.
• Online learning Space: All learning at Horizons University online courses happens on our online learning platform Moodle. This is a restricted space that only our students have access to. Students have access to the online learning space 24 hours a day. In the course pages students can visualize the course syllabus, access course material, and see what material and resources are required for the course. Students also submit their assignments via the online learning space.
• Flexibility: At Horizons University students complete courses at their own speed. Students set their own deadlines for the assignments, and work through each at their own pace. Like this all our students take advantage of their personal availability and previous knowledge, and can complete courses quicker than the predefined 15-week period.
• Number of courses: Students can complete up to 2 courses at the same time.
• Course schedule: Courses can be started any day of the year because there are no scheduled starting dates for courses. Students start when they are ready and available.
• Duration of courses: All courses at Horizons University (except for Thesis and Dissertation supervision) have a duration of 15 weeks. These 15 weeks can be extended by 10 weeks if students require more time to complete a course.
• Personal Facilitator: When taking a course at Horizons University students are not alone. Each student is assigned to a personal Facilitator for each course, who is an expert in the subject matter. The Facilitator is who answers questions about the course, about the course content, and who grades the assignments and provides feedback.

What our online students say about studying at Horizons University

How will I complete my degree?
• Our online degrees are completed fully online. This means that you can complete your degree wherever you are in the world.
• You will complete a set number of courses that are part of the program you are enrolled in.

How do our assessments work?
• Continuous Evaluation: Horizons University uses a continuous evaluation approach. This means that a course’s final grade is not dependent on one assignment alone, but on a student’s performance throughout the whole course. Although not all assignments are graded, for every module of a course at least one assignment will contribute to the final grade of the course. Not all assignments will have the same weight for the course grade.
• Weight of different assignments: It is not uncommon to have a Final Project contribute more than other individual assignments.
• Exams: Horizons University does not use exams in its courses because the university focuses on the application of knowledge. There are some quiz assignments that students must complete that are important for the overall grade of a course, but they are “take home” open book exams, where students are encouraged to use all the resources available to them. This means that students are never required to come to Paris to complete their courses or degrees, and can always complete their assignments wherever they are.

What is a course like at Horizons University?
• For each course students will have access to the course content via the online learning space.
• A typical course at Horizons University is divided between 4 and 15 modules.
• For each module of a course you will be completing reading and written assignments.
• The written assignments are based on your application of knowledge and on developing your higher order skills. Written assignments will be essays, reflective papers, application papers, case studies, annotated bibliographies, course projects, presentations. In an undergraduate course you will sometimes have quizzes to complete, however Horizons University tries to keep away from multiple choice tests.
• Group work is not a core part of Horizons University curriculum because our students complete courses at their own pace, so even students who begin their courses at the same time are very quickly in different stages of their courses.
• There are no pre-set deadlines for your assignments. Instead, you complete the course at your own pace.

Resources
• While Horizons University is striving for 100% free, digital resources, some of the required readings are still print or payable resources.
• The resources for courses will vary from books, eBooks, articles, presentation, videos, case studies, reports, pod-casts, videos, etc…

How can I benefit from what I already know?
• There are various ways for you to benefit from what you already know.
• The first one is to transfer credits from degrees you have not completed in the past, or from certificate programs you have completed.
• The second one it so take advantage of the flexible learning approach. Due to the self-paced approach of Horizons University, students that are familiar with certain course content can complete assignments at a fast pace, without being dependent on a pre-defined course timetable. This personalized approach allows you to spend time in the activities that you really need to focus on, and breeze through other that you are comfortable with.

How to get started in the degree program?
• To begin any degree program, students must first apply to it.
• Upon applying, and once accepted a student then enrolls into the degree program they applied for.
• An enrolled student can begin their degree program, but before starting the first course, each student is assigned a Student Premier, who is the student’s main point of communication and support during the degree.
• The student and the Student Premier will define a Study Plan for the degree, where a pace and order of courses is set.
• Business students will complete an initial assessment which will aid the Student Premier assess the student’s need for additional support in certain courses, as well as help the Student Premier advise a Study Plan for the Student.
• Once all this is set, students are ready to begin their first course.
• The flexible education approach at Horizons University permits this whole process to take place at any time of the year. The process described below can take 3 weeks, depending on the student’s responsiveness. Furthermore, students may apply and enroll any time of the year. There are no set application or enrolment periods, also degrees and courses do not have specific start dates. Students begin when they are ready and available.

Personalized Study Plan
• Every single student at Horizons University has a personal degree/study plan because everyone starts at a different time of the year.
• Students are not always bound to a strict course order, which means that they have freedom to choose the order of their courses, so long that at the time there are no restrictions. Most courses area available all year around.
• Students are not bound to a strict timeline for their courses. This means that they can begin courses and end courses on any day. Although our courses have a 15 week Study Period, students can take less time to complete the course, or extend the Study Period by 10 weeks. The time students take to complete courses will vary depending on their personal availability to study and complete assignments, as well as on their previous knowledge of the subject area.

Opportunity to speed up the completion of your degree
• Due to the university’s flexible approach to teaching – where students can complete courses at their own pace – students can finish their degree faster than the pre-designed time.
• Student can do this by using their pre-existing knowledge, and personal availability as a way to accelerate their degree.
• Because Horizons University does not have pre-established deadlines, you can speed up the completion time of your degree by drawing on your skills and experience to breeze through material that you feel comfortable with.
• Students can also transfer credits to their Horizons University degree, cutting their degree time shorter.

Student Premier – Personal Attention
• At Horizons University our students are not just another number, and because of this each student gets a Student Premier. We want our students to feel supported throughout their whole degree.
• The Student Premier is the student’s main point of contact at the University, and a constant presence through all of the student’s degree. Just because students are taking distance education, it does not have to mean that Horizons University has to be distant.
• The Student Premier organizes each student’s study plan, the enrolments into courses, and assists students with all their non-academic matters, from financial, to requesting transcripts.

Support from the university
• Admissions Advisor: Students will have an Admissions Advisor who will answer their questions, and help them understand if Horizons University fits their personal goals. The Admissions Advisor will also help students prepare a strong application, and supporting them through the process, that does not need to be hard.
• Student Premier: Each student has a Student Premier for the duration of your degree, so that our students never feel like they are going through their degree program alone.
• Facilitator: For each course a student is assigned to a Facilitator who is a subject matter expert, and who facilitates the student’s learning, grades and provides feedback on the submitted assignments. This means that students will have a one-to-one relationship with their Facilitators.
• The Horizons University team: The Horizons University team is here to help our students succeed in their degree, and achieve their academic goals. We are fully available to answer to your questions and queries. You can contact the university via phone, Skype, or come and visit the university in Central Paris.

International Internships & Work Experiences
Horizons University partners with AIESEC to provide you the opportunity to find an international work experience opportunity.

Is online studying for you?
Are you a motivated and hardworking person? Do you want to progress in your career, but have many personal and professional commitments that make going to a traditional university hard for you? Then studying online is the best solution for you. Horizons University’s flexible and self-paced approach makes it even easier to adapt studying online to your reality.

Online learning works the smoothest for people that are:
1. Persistent, motivated and independent learners that like to work on their own, and seek help when needed.
2. Take initiative and responsibility for their own learning.
3. See a Professor as someone who facilitates learning.
4. Effective at time management, and managing various commitments at the same time.