Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

Distance Education Program

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana

DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM

Since 1973, the Women's External Degree (WED) program has provided the College curriculum to contemporary adult women who juggle multiple responsibilities yet need or want a college degree. Now serving 1,150 women, this structured but flexible independent-study program is based on five-month semesters that begin with in-person appointments with instructors and faculty advisers, leading to a degree in one of more than thirty majors.

DELIVERY MEDIA

Faculty members and students communicate by telephone, voice mail, e-mail, and postal service. All full-time faculty members, some adjuncts, and many students have access to e-mail. Computers with modems are not required—except for accounting, CIS, and digital media communication majors—but access to a computer for word processing and research is required. Some courses use videotapes, audiotapes, or optional computer programs.

PROGRAMS OF STUDY

The College is chartered to grant the Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Science degrees to women and the Master of Arts degree to both women and men.

Undergraduates complete the general studies curriculum, courses required for their chosen major, and additional electives to total 125 semester hours for a baccalaureate degree and 65 semester hours for an associate degree; a minimum of 30 hours must be earned at the College.

Associate majors available through WED are accounting, early childhood education, general business, gerontology, humanities, and paralegal studies. Baccalaureate majors are accounting, accounting information systems, business administration, computer information systems, digital media communications, E-commerce, education (early childhood, elementary, secondary, and special), English, equine business management, gerontology, history/political science, human resource management, human services, humanities, journalism, marketing, mathematics, not-for-profit administration, occupational therapy applications, paralegal studies, professional writing, psychology, social sciences (history concentration), and theology. Teacher licensure is also available for men and women who have already earned a bachelor's degree.

There are no geographical restrictions, except that education majors must reside within 200 miles of campus for faculty supervision of field experience and student teaching.

The Master of Arts in pastoral theology program is designed for persons who are or plan to be engaged in ministry and for those seeking personal enrichment in theological study.

The Master of Arts in earth literacy program is designed for persons who care for and advocate a sustainable and just earth community.

The Master of Arts in art therapy program emphasizes understanding and applying theories to art therapy, counseling, and psychopathology.

The Master of Arts in music therapy program is designed for professional music therapists who seek an advanced understanding of the therapeutic uses of music, especially as applied to psychotherapy and medicine. Master of Arts degrees require 36 to 40 credit hours.

Founded in 1840, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) is the nation's oldest Catholic liberal arts college for women and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The College offers the rich traditions of academic excellence and dedication to educating women personally and professionally for responsible roles in society. The diverse student community of 1,500 includes traditional resident students, commuters, student mothers and children, and distance learners at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College also enrolls men in its postbaccalaureate teacher licensure programs and its graduate programs. A hallmark of the College is an emphasis on personalized service.

The general studies curriculum required of all undergraduates is designed to develop the communication and analytical skills needed for success in college and in the professional world.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

SMWC offers several learning formats: traditional campus-based study, distance learning, and a third format that combines independent study with intensive weekend seminars on campus. WED students may combine these formats in any semester of study; about 400 choose to enroll in weekend alternative format courses each year. However, all degrees offered through WED may be completed entirely through distance learning at home, with the exception of several paralegal, digital media communication, and equine courses, which must be taken via alternative format on campus on weekends.

STUDENT SERVICES

Full-time faculty members serve as academic advisers to the WED students in their departments, meeting each semester to monitor progress and plan subsequent semesters. A WED staff of 8 provides additional support, advocacy, registrarial assistance, and information, including a quarterly newsletter for distance learners. One WED staff person provides referral to other campus services, such as career development (available by phone and in person) and library materials by mail.

CREDIT OPTIONS

Students may transfer credit earned at other accredited colleges and universities, although some credits may be too dated to meet the requirements. WED encourages students to earn credit for previous college-level learning through CLEP and DANTES, ACE/CCRS awards, and portfolio applications documenting other prior learning. At least 30 semester hours of course work must be earned under the direct supervision of SMWC faculty members.

FACULTY

Fifty-seven full-time and 55 adjunct faculty members serve as instructors and academic advisers to WED students. Sixty percent of full-time faculty members have doctoral or other terminal degrees.

ADMISSION

Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED certificate and demonstrate potential for success in a distance learning program. Academic history, employment and other life experience, writing skills, and stated goals are considered. Applicants for whom English is a second language must submit TOEFL scores. Applications and all documentation should be submitted at least thirty days prior to the planned enrollment date.

TUITION AND FEES

For 2004–05, undergraduate tuition for the WED program is $332 per semester hour. Fees include a $30 application fee, a one-time fee of $80 for the initial on-campus residency (not including housing), an annual $50 general fee, and modest materials fees for laboratory courses.

FINANCIAL AID

Available financial aid includes Federal Pell Grants, student loans, and, for residents only, Indiana Higher Education Grants. In 2000–01, the College processed about $2.7 million from these sources on behalf of WED students. The College awards small WED grants to eligible seniors and offers 10 percent tuition discounts through cooperating employers; this institutional aid totaled $63,000 in 2000–01. Finally, the WED staff maintains a directory of private grants and scholarships and encourages WED students to apply for them. Approximately 65 percent of WED students receive some form of aid.

CONTACT

Admission:

Director of Distance Education Admission
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana 47876
Telephone: 812-535-5106 800-926-SMWC (toll-free)
Fax: 812-535-5010
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.smwc.edu

Graduate Programs:

Mary Lou Dolan, C.S.J.
Earth Literacy Director
Telephone: 812-535-5160
Fax: 812-535-5228
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]

Kathy Gotshall
Art Therapy Program
Telephone: 812-535-5151
E-mail: [email protected]

Virginia Unverzagt
Pastoral Theology Director
Telephone: 812-535-5170
Fax: 812-535-4613
E-mail: [email protected]

Tracy Richardson
Music Therapy Program
Telephone: 812-535-5154
E-mail: [email protected]

APPLYING

Applications are reviewed when all materials are received; the evaluation process is usually completed within a month. Two-day orientation residencies are held on campus five times each year and conclude with enrollment in the initial semester.