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FAQs

Browse frequently asked questions about SCOPE's online pathways to personal, professional, and organizational success.

General
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What are the benefits of completing a degree online?

SCOPE offers its courses with the adult learner in mind. Online courses provide you with flexible scheduling, asynchronous coursework, and an accelerated schedule to meet your goals and outcomes. 

Am I able to speak with an advisor if I don’t know what degree or program is best for me?

Our Pathway Partners are here to assist you with your questions to best help you accomplish your outcomes. Follow this link to talk with your Pathway Partner.

Are SCOPE degrees accredited?

SCOPE as a part of Bob Jones University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctorate degrees. SCOPE is also a member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS).

Online Courses
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Are online courses more difficult than in-person courses?

SCOPE online courses provide the same quality, rigor, and course objectives as a course in residence but with the added benefits of flexibility and term length to accommodate your schedule.

How will I interact with other students in my online course?

One of the distinguishing features of SCOPE’s online courses is the emphasis on the interaction between students and between students and facilitators. Although there are many ways for this interaction, online discussion is the most used one. Discussion posts are designed to help learners analyze material while encouraging them to work through problems by listening to each other and providing their own perspectives.

How does SCOPE protect my privacy?

FERPA

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) allows students at an institution of higher education to control outside access to their education records, including requests for information from their parents, guardians, or others as designated by the student. Without a student’s written consent, SCOPE may not disclose information from a student’s education records to outside third parties. However, a student can provide a standing release allowing SCOPE to disclose information to others.

 

LOGIN AND PASSWORD

Upon enrollment in a course or program offered through SCOPE, each student is provided with a unique student login and password. This login and password are required to access certain learning resources protected by BJU's Active Directory and Central Authentication Service. These resources include the BJU intranet, intranet-related resources and password-protected Mack Library resources.

 

CANVAS

The student's unique login and password are also required to access SCOPE’s Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas, through which the online courses, including their lectures, assignments and assessments, are administered.

Online student privacy is maintained at all times by keeping grades secure in the LMS. Grades are not viewable by other members of the course. No student grades or information are posted outside of secured systems any time during or after the semester.

For details about how Canvas collects and uses data, see the Instructure Product Privacy Policy.

 

MICROSOFT

Most online courses require the use of Microsoft products such as Word, PowerPoint, or Excel. As a BJU student you have access to Microsoft Office 365 for free with your student login (see this Microsoft Office 365 page for download information). In addition, some faculty members may incorporate live meetings via Microsoft Teams in their courses.
 
For details about how Microsoft collects and uses data, see the Microsoft Privacy Statement.

 

HONORLOCK

BJU requires the use of Honorlock for all proctored online exams. In addition to the test requiring the student to enter his/her unique login and password, Honorlock further authenticates the student via webcam by requiring a photo ID at each testing session. Additionally, all testing sessions are recorded and are available for faculty members or SCOPE staff to review.

For details about how Honorlock collects and uses data, see their Student Privacy Statement.

 

EXTERNAL TOOLS

If external tools (wikis, blogs, etc.) are used, the faculty member must ensure that Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements are met. In most cases, it is acceptable for faculty to ask students to post and comment to wikis and blogs. However, students will not be required to post information that is protected under FERPA (their class schedule, for example). Faculty comments and grades on student work will never be made public. Students may make public work such as wikis and blogs private if so desired. Faculty cannot require students to reveal private information to the class and will respect students’ requests to not post information for class viewing.

Scheduling & Flexibility
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How much time should I plan to spend per week on coursework?

You should plan to spend 15-20 hours per week on your coursework.

Am I able to work ahead in my online course?

Yes, two weeks of course content is kept open at a time.

How long does it take to complete an online course?

SCOPE courses are 7 or 15 weeks in length depending on the course.

What are the start dates for online courses?

For most programs, there are two start dates every Fall, Spring, and Summer.

Do I have to be online at certain times of day?

No, all lectures are prerecorded ahead of time so that you can easily build your class time into your schedule. 

Textbooks & Course Materials
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Can I access my courses on my smart device?

Yes, courses are accessible via a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.

Am I required to purchase textbooks for my online courses?

Most SCOPE courses require textbooks for the completion of your online courses. SCOPE uses online course textbooks when accessible. 

Admission
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How do I apply to become a SCOPE student?

To apply to become a SCOPE student, first visit the registration page to create an account.

What are the admission requirements?

Reach out to one of our Pathway Partners by clicking here or clicking the "Talk to a Pathway Partner" button at the top of this page. 

Transferring Credits
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I have previous college credit. How do I know what I would have left to do to complete my bachelor’s degree through SCOPE?

Our Pathway Partners will be happy to look at your previous coursework to give you a tentative evaluation of your transfer work and an idea of what coursework you would have left to do. You can send an unofficial transcript to the email scope@bju.edu.

How do I request my transcript from SCOPE?

Transcripts can be requested using our transcript portal. Follow this link to the transcript portal.

Are SCOPE courses accredited? Will they transfer to other universities?

SCOPE is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctorate degrees. SCOPE is also a member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). The registrar of your selected university or college will determine what is received as transfer credit.

Registration
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How do I register for my next course?

To register for your next online class, you will need to go to studentcentral.bju.edu.

How do I drop/withdraw from a course?

If you need to drop/withdraw from your online class, you will need to fill out a Drop/Withdrawal form and return it to our office via email at scope@bju.edu.

Costs & Financial Aid
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Is financial aid available?

Yes, financial aid is available. For questions about SCOPE's costs and financial aid, please review our Costs & Financial Aid page.

What is SCOPE’s school code for FAFSA?

The FAFSA school code is 003421.

Contact
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When do I need to contact my facilitator?

Contact your course facilitator for the following:

  • if you have any questions about the content/assignments of your course
  • if you feel that you are falling behind
  • if you know of circumstances that will alter your ability to meet course expectations
How do I contact my facilitator?
  • If you have questions that pertain to the class, you will need to post your questions on the Professor’s Office discussion board.
  • If your questions are of a personal nature, please email your facilitator privately through your BJU email account.
  • You can also email your facilitator through the “Inbox” feature located on the blue global navigation menu on the left side of your screen.
What should I do if my facilitator is not getting back to me after a couple of days?

If you are having trouble corresponding with your facilitator, please contact the SCOPE office at this email: scope@bju.edu.

About SCOPE
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