Credit Hours

Online classes award credit in the same way universities or colleges do – by credit hour.

The only difference between an online class and a classroom class is that instead of walking to class, sitting and taking notes and walking back home, you are reading your lectures online, watching the lecture online or listening to it via Mp3. In both cases the work you do as a student is the same – you are learning for a certain number of “hours”, you are learning material that meets the requirements of your degree, and you are required to submit assignments or pass exams that demonstrate your mastery and understanding of the material. This can happen in a chair in a classroom or in a chair in your kitchen –  it is still the same work. Universities are increasingly using the convenience of online classes – sometimes even in combination with classroom classes.

The credit hours shown for each class at The Avicenna Institute are based on how many hours are spent on each course during a semester when it is taught at the institute or during seminars. These credit hours reflect how many credit hours you can record for this course if you are using this to fulfill credit hours for a requirement.  Credit hours are based on how many hours per week are spent on a class during a 16-week semester.

These credit hours are based on the American system. To translate these into Canadian credit hours please contact me as there are different systems being used at different schools in Canada. However, the basic translation is:

3 credit hours=1 half year course
6 credit hours=1 full year course

Depending on your previous experience in the area, this will not reflect how many actual hours you put into the course. This is one of the benefits of online study. Instead of sitting through hours of a course along with hundreds of students at a “group pace”, you can move at your own pace, based on your previous knowledge or ability to absorb information.  Some students with previous study in an area or increased ability to absorb information may complete one or more of these sections in only a few hours.

How to Earn Your Diplomas

You will earn your diplomas and degrees in the same way you do at a traditional university. You will start by earning a Certification Diploma. These are awarded for each class you take. Next you are awarded a Bachelor’s Diploma in your chosen subject. With additional classes you will earn your Master’s Degree. With additional credits you will be awarded your Naturopathic Doctorate. The Naturopathic Doctorate Course takes you through this process step-by-step.

Certification Diploma

To receive a certificate in any of the areas below you need only complete the unit requirements for that topic.  You can test out of a course if you are a practitioner or have previous experience in an area.

Bachelors Diploma 

To graduate with a degree in a chosen subject (herbs, nutrition, or other chosen subject) you need to complete 120 hours, which is the standard for a bachelor’s degree at all American colleges. You must also complete an independent project and a list of independent reading assignments. You can test out of some credits.

Masters (in Herbalism, Nutrition, Iridology, Reflexology, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy)

To graduate with a Masters in Herbalism or other subject you need to complete 40 additional hours in that subject. You must also submit an masters project and complete the requirements (independent project and reading assignments) for the bachelors degree requirements. If you already have a bachelor’s degree from another college or university you can use those credits to “jump ahead” and start work on your Masters Degree.  You can test out of some credits.

Naturopathic Doctorate

To graduate with a Naturopathic Doctorate you need to complete all the courses in the Naturopathic Series and course hours in all the classes as well as submit a final paper. You can test out of some of these credits.

Unani Tibb

To graduate with a bachelors degree in Unani Tibb you must complete 120 hours of credits. To graduate with a masters degree in Unani Tibb you must complete 40 additional hours and submit a student project. To graduate with a doctorate in Unani Tibb you must complete all the classes and submit a doctoral paper.