The online prerequisite courses are designed for individual study; courses are offered year round, students register and proceed through coursework on their own schedule and at their own pace, interacting with instructors and other students via email and other interactive tools.
The courses in the master's program follow a cohort design; students start each course as a group, or cohort, and proceed through the program together. Like the prerequisite courses, the core courses are flexible and free from the specific restrictions of time-of-day and place, and offer students alternatives and tools that facilitate the learning process. The big difference derives from the cohort experience—rejecting the notion that virtual classrooms must be solitary places. Each course in the master's program includes features that both challenge and support student learning, engaging them in lively exchanges and thoughtful debate with instructors and classmates. Beginning on the first day of class and continuing throughout the program, MSPCI courses offer multiple options for contact and collaboration between instructors and students, resulting in the development of strong personal relationships that continue beyond graduation.
  
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PROGRAM STRUCTURE
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