What are self-paced courses?
Self-paced courses are guided by
an instructor and a student learning packet. Each student receives
course information and a timeline for completing exercises. The
instructor grades the work and provides one-on-one help as needed
during open lab hours. Students come to an orientation meeting at
the CSM La Plata campus (room ST-162) on the first Wednesday of the
month to receive their learning packets, meet their instructors, and
receive any necessary computer files to complete the course.
Orientations are held the first Wednesday of each month (except
August and December) at 10 a.m., noon, and 6:30 p.m. and usually
take about 30 minutes.
Most of our 29 courses
can be taken for either 1 college credit or for 1.5 continuing
education units. The one-credit courses have a 30-day timeline,
while two-credit courses have 60 days, and three-credit courses have
90 days. Each student can finish the required work at his or her own
pace throughout those assigned days as long as everything assigned
is turned in by the final due date. No points are taken away from students
who do not turn in weekly assignments, but also, no assignments will
be accepted after the final due date has passed.
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How can I fit the
course into my schedule?
Our self-paced classes do not have a
fixed attendance schedule. You need to attend your first class, the
orientation meeting, at the CSM La Plata campus (room ST-162) on the
first Wednesday of the month to receive a learning packet, meet your
instructor, and receive any necessary computer files to complete the
course. Orientations are held the first Wednesday of each month
(except August and December) at 10 a.m., noon, and 6:30 p.m. and
usually take about 30 minutes.
At the orientation
meeting, you will receive a schedule indicating when faculty and lab
facilitators are available to help you one-on-one with your assigned
course work. If you choose to work from your home or your office and
do not need one-on-one help, then you do not have to come back to
the OFT lab until you are ready for your final exam. The final exam
for each course can be taken at each of our CSM campuses: the La Plata Campus (room
ST-162)
or the Prince Frederick
Campus (room PFA-110) or the Leonardtown campus Testing Center by the ending date of your
course term. You do not have to schedule your final exam, but you do
need to come to one of the OFT labs when
a faculty member or facilitator is scheduled to be there.
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Do I receive
college credit?
Our OFT self-paced courses are offered as
either college credit classes or continuing education classes.
Credit students earn letter grades based upon their completion of
the work, while continuing education students receive a pass/fail
grade and a certificate upon successful completion. If you decide to
change your original registration from Continuing Education to
Credit, you must make the change before the course ends.
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When can I register
for a course?
Registration for our OFT self-paced courses is
open until the 6:30 p.m. orientation session the day the class
begins. Enrollment is ongoing with all courses being offered each
month. The CSM Registration Office hours are Monday-Thursday from 9
a.m. - 7 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Online
registration is available to credit and
continuing education students who have previously taken classes with CSM. If you are not currently registered in a college credit program
with the College of Southern Maryland, you must first complete an
admissions application.
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What does the
course cost?
Course tuition costs for the credit offerings
are the same as in a traditional classroom course. Course fees are
listed below each course in the
Schedule of Classes. Students seeking financial assistance must
register for all classes they intend to take during the semester at
the beginning of the traditional fall, spring, or summer semesters.
Each class will also require the purchase of a textbook and possible
additional materials.
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Will I need a
textbook for this course?
Yes, you need to purchase a
textbook for each course. At orientation, you will receive a
syllabus that will indicate the name of the text and other important
information. A
sample syllabus for each course is online
and lists these materials.
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What if I need
help?
Office technology faculty or computer lab facilitators
will staff the OFT computer lab at the CSM La Plata campus, Leonardtown
campus,
and Prince Frederick campus during designated hours. At orientation, you will
receive a schedule indicating the
hours when faculty and facilitators are available to assist you with
your assignments and answer your questions in person or by phone.
You may also e-mail your instructor
at any time.
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Where do I take my
tests?
All OFT tests will be given at the
-
CSM La Plata campus
in the self-paced lab (ST-162)--see
schedule
-
CSM Leonardtown campus
at the Leonardtown Testing Center
-
CSM Prince
Frederick campus in the self-paced lab (PFA-118)--see
schedule
Tests will be available only when an Office Technology faculty member
or facilitator is on duty
(except in Leonardtown where you may take exams at the Testing
Center). You do not need to schedule your exam,
nor do you need to come to the self-paced lab only when your instructor
is scheduled to be facilitating the lab. Any of the self-paced
instructors can administer your exam during the OFT open lab hours.
See the self-paced lab schedules for
specific times.
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How long do I have
to complete a course?
For a typical OFT self-paced class, you
will have 30 calendar days per credit to complete the work assigned.
The one-credit courses have a 30-day timeline, while two-credit
courses have 60 days, and three-credit courses have 90 days. Each
student can finish the required work at his or her own pace
throughout those assigned days as long as all required work is
turned in by the final due date. No points are taken away from students
who do not turn in their assignments weekly, but also, no
assignments will be accepted after the final due date has passed.
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When will I get my
grades?
Students can check their grades or request a
transcript online approximately three weeks after the end of the
class. Continuing Education students who pass the class will receive
a certificate approximately three weeks after the end of the class.
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What is the
Microsoft Office Specialist certification?
The Microsoft Office
Specialist (MOS) is a certification provided by Microsoft
that verifies an end user's expertise in Microsoft Office
applications such as Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint.
-
The Microsoft
Office Specialist exams certify a person's ability and general
knowledge of MS Office applications.
-
The Microsoft
Office Expert exams certify a person's ability in using
advanced features in a specific Microsoft Office application.
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Will I be qualified
to take the Microsoft Office Specialist certification exams?
The textbooks used for our OFT self-paced courses are stamped as
preparatory materials for the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
certifications. At this time, CSM is an authorized testing center
for MOS certification. Contact the La Plata Campus Testing Center at
301-934-7657 for more information, including current fees and
testing schedules. Information about the Microsoft Office Specialist
testing is also available online at
http://www.microsoft.com/traincert/mcp/officespecialist.
