The prep year is a foundation year to prepare students with English, IT, Communication Skills and Time Management before they enroll in the program of their choice and begin their Virtual Education.
The preparatory year consists of 5 levels which are:
Level 1: Elementary
Level 2: Pre-Intermediate
Level 3 Intermediate
Level 4: Upper-Intermediate
Level 5: Advanced.
Optionally, in addition to the English courses, an IT course and a Communication Skills and Time Management (CSTM) course are taught in parallel to the 4th or 5th English levels.

The length of the program will be decided according to the proficiency in English. A Placement Test is scheduled upon registration. The Placement Test scores will decide the course for each student. Each level duration is 9 weeks, hence the 5 levels sum up to one year.

No, it is not necessary to take all the levels. Before registering you have to take a Placement Test that will decide in which level you have to start.

Yes, you can choose your suitable time upon registration.

You will learn Net Languages which is an interactive English program especially designed for English language students.

You have four sessions per week, 2 hours per session.

Yes, you have homework, and some projects.

Your teachers/tutors are highly qualified professionals selected by the Board of the university.

If you have a problem or a question you should visit the Student Services Office and write a petition that will be reviewed by the responsible person. Or you can send an online petition which is available on the SVU website.

You can attend your sessions at home or at one of the SVU's Telecenters in Syria.

You have to inform your tutor mentioning the reasons of your absence.

You should pay at the Finance Office or in one of the SVU Telecenters'

At the end of each semester, the Finance Office will send you an e-mail informing you about the payment's deadline.

Yes, you can postpone a course for one semester only.

You can repeat the course one time if you do not pass it.

You can print the supplementary materials, and you can get the recorded sessions on CDs.

All sessions are recorded and you can get them when you want.

You should visit the Student Services Office and write a petition.

No, in the preparatory year you do not have books, and your study will be online.

Yes, in case the student does not have any computing or English Knowledge.

50% for the final exam, 30% for the quizzes, 20% for tutor's assignments.

Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) are designed to equip students with the knowledge, understanding and skills required for success in current of future employment or for progression to an undergraduate degree (Bachelors). HNDs are fully accredited by the British Government and recognized worldwide.

The HND in Computing and Business Applications is a 2-year degree which has been developed to enable students to exploit knowledge of computing, web-based development and marketing by developing the skills to professionally develop web-based applications, apply professional computer programming skills and manage marketing skills and knowledge.

The Higher National Diploma is a 2 Years program.

Unfortunately you can't choose your courses timing and schedule. It is not like the American System, predefined units must be finished each semester.

Edexcel HND platform.

Edexcel Institution was established in 1996, after merging the BTEC (the Business & Technology Education Council)
and ULEAC (the University of London Examinations and Assessment Council).
Edexcel has different branches in United Kingdom and other different countries in the world, and through its regional offices in India, Oman, Honk Kong, Malaysia, Edexcel serves 100 countries around the world. Its certificates are given in 100 Academic Institute, and 300 Training Centers, and hundreds of schools only in the United Kingdom.

No, in both cases the student will have the same certificate that doesn't indicate the studying language.

Each student is expected to attend at least twice a week. You have to attend the web-demo sessions, and you will need to study by yourself between 25 to 30 hours per week

Yes, you have homework. And sometimes the grades of the homework will be more than the exam grade.

All the HND tutors were chosen by the SVU Board of Directors according to their academic backgrounds, experience and qualifications. They are all trained and experienced in the online tutoring.

You can refer the problem to the student services office at the Students Affairs Department.

The Syrian Virtual University provides it students with 11 Telecenters which are located in most of the Syrian Cities in addition to one telecenter in Dubai.
These telecenters gives the SVU students the chance to use a computer with an internet service in addition to the necessary assistance in case of technical conflicts.
Any student has the right to choose between studying at home or at the university telecenters.

Assessment Distribution
 

Unit	% from course work	% from exam
Personal Development	100
e-Business Development	50	50
e-Commerce Technology	60	40
Marketing for eCommerce	50	50
Marketing Planning and Intelligence for e-Commerce	50	50
Internet Studies	60	40
Introduction to Programming	70	30
Programming Principles	60	40
Website Design	70	30
E-Marketing Processes in Practice	50	50
Data Analysis and Database Design	70	30
e-Commerce Project	100
Advertising promotion and Sales in e-Commerce	50	50
Supply Chain Management	70	30
Global Marketplace	40	60
Data Handling and Analysis	60	40

In addition the candidate will be expected to obtain consistent marks for each assessment for a unit (e.g. for a distinction grade most assessments within that unit will have achieved 70% and above).
The final grading is performed by an examination board at the end of each semester. The board has the authority to amend recommended grades. The date of each board will be advertised.
And the tutor will distribute the grades for each assignment in the beginning of the Unit.

20% of the final grade is reserved for attendance and participation. It is not enough to simply log in on virtual classrooms meetings. Active involvement in class discussions is necessary and will be graded. Absences will not be tolerated without prior-notice (at least one week).
Exceptions may be accepted in case of emergencies or extraordinary situations which will be defined case by case, upon submittal of a petition (to the Registrar’s Office) attached to official and signed written evidences of the event in question.

You should send an email to the tutor to inform him\her.

Each student has to attend 20% from total sessions, in case of attending less than the expected percentage he\she can not take the Unit exam and will have to re-register and repeat the unit.

You can pay to the finance office at the SVU, or in the Syrian Commercial Bank, or in Dubai Office.

Students will receive an official invoice informing them about the payments' dates.

The student can postpone the semester only once, but he has to write a petition before the beginning of the semester.

If the student fails in the unit he should repeat it and pay $200 for each unit and he can repeat the unit during 5 years.

Yes, the student can print the materials but not in our Teleceneters.

The student can attend the recorded sessions if he\she had missed one of them.

There are no books, all the materials are online.

Virtual Education is the latest generation of Distance Learning. At first content and studies used to be done my postal mail: the student would receive text-books, documents and learning materials and would study alone and communicate with a tutor by traditional means (letters, fax, or phone).

With the emergence of the Compact Discs, all the materials could be sent in one small package: this is what is called e-Learning.

When the Internet finally appeared, there was no need to send by postal mail any material anymore for all the learning information could be available on the web at any time: this is online education.

With further developments, this method could be enhanced to ultimately comprise the complete traditional learning environment which makes university-life: classrooms, cafeterias, campuses, maximize synchronous interactions between students and peers and students and tutors, libraries, etc… which all together make virtual education under which the SVU falls.

The concept of “education” implies a complete and all-inclusive learning environment. The idea of a setting is the important aspect here. Usually this is achieved in a campus. All the university-life, including the classroom experience, happens within this environment.

On the other hand, learning is done at a personal level, without a particular learning setting necessary.

In that sense, Virtual education must be differentiated from web-based learning (or simple online learning). Virtual education requires by nature a complete learning environment, very similar in the activities, to the one found in traditional universities (classroom, libraries, interaction areas, etc..)

Synchronous learning is when all the participants are interacting at the same time (in Virtual Classrooms or chatting sessions for instance).

Asynchronous learning is when the student accesses the material on his/her own, at any time (online learning materials) or communicates with peers or tutors who are not available online at the same (emails, discussion forums).

The obvious difference is the medium of course: one is in a classroom, in which the students and the professor should meet, “physically”. The other is also in a classroom, in which the students and the professor should, meet, virtually.

In teaching, five elements must be taken into consideration: the student, the professor/tutor, the content to be taught, the assessment of the learning process and most importantly the interaction between the first 3 elements. It is in this interaction that lays the essential difference between virtual education and traditional classroom-based learning.

In traditional learning the tutor is responsible for conveying the content in an interesting and understandable manner. The content remains rigid in the sense that it is a written book or an idea on a blackboard. The efficiency of the teaching method lies completely on the experience and talent of the tutor who has to grasp the material and deliver it in a creative manner which makes the professor a transmitter of knowledge. All the interaction is therefore happening between the tutor and the students.

With virtual education the interaction is shifted to be mainly between the learner and the content. The tutor becomes a “facilitator” and not a “transmitter” anymore.

In web-based education the content is fully interactive and designed based on the best pedagogical techniques (developed by top professors). The expertise of the teacher becomes embedded with the content delivery experience. In other words, the content is self-explanatory to a certain extent and the interaction is highly efficient between the learner and the content. This exercise of contact with the content is by itself an intellectual challenge and teaches the learner to practice his/her cognitive abilities. The tutor is there to guide and support the student, as well as assessing the learning process and the student’s progress.

 

Who can help me decide on the program I should choose?

Career Planning is necessary for students to be able to design their future professional path and choose the most appropriate specialization according to their desires, needs, financial and academic potentials and most importantly Market Needs which are the primary components to build competitive qualities.

The Admissions Office offers, upon appointment, Career Planning sessions to all the SVU enrolled students. Applicants can benefit from this service as well.

For more information contact the Admissions Office
admissions@svuonline.org + 963 11 211 34 72

Virtual Education fits any person. It is flexible and allows you to design you schedule according to your preferences, so you may work and study at the same time.

Any high-school or university graduate who wishes to pursue his/her studies can choose Virtual Education for it requires the same obligations as traditional learning.

The only difference is that students should be able to use a computer. The Technical Support team offers assistance and training to all students, so even if you do not have any computer skill, you may attend a workshop and learn to use your tools efficiently.

You may apply online, using the appropriate Application Form to your request (Undergraduate or Graduate). Fill in all the requirements and attach the (scanned) documents needed at the end of the form. Only complete applications will be processed.

The Finance Office will contact you in order to pay your application fee. This can be done by bank-transfer, cheque or cash in our offices.

You may have one of our officers handling the application procedures on your behalf either online (click to talk to one of our representatives) or face-to-face in our Telecenters and offices.

Yes, the degrees awarded by the Syrian Virtual University are all real and are the same as the one conferred by traditional universities. A graduation ceremony is also organized for students who wish to receive their degree by hand, with their peers.

Yes all the SVU degrees are fully accredited and endorsed by the Ministry of Higher Education in Syria. Arab students can also benefit from the SVU accreditation: since the Syrian Virtual University is a governmental institution, and that all Arab governments have an understanding to recognize each other’s public universities; the SVU degrees are also accepted in any Arab country.

No. Of course variations exist among universities, but the virtual program is as complete and comprehensive as the traditional ones. Most of the SVU partners are both traditional and virtual. This means that they started as on-campus institutions and then transferred their programs online. The curricula which are taught on campus today are the same as the ones online. In fact students may shift at any time to pursue their studies on campus without any transfer requirement because the programs are identical and meet the standards of quality which were set for traditional programs.

All student responsibilities such as admissions, scheduling courses, attending classes, conducting library research are web-based. However, some programs require some face-to-face (“physically” attend in a classroom or a laboratory for instance). Through the agreement consented by both the SVU and its partners, you will have the option of meeting these requirements locally, regionally, under the academic supervision on the university you have chosen, or by traveling to this university’s campus.

Generally, most of the programs available at the Syrian Virtual University can be fully completed online.
 

Do I need a computer to access classes?

Yes, you need a computer connected to the internet in order to attend classes and to communicate with your peers and tutors. If you do not have a personal computer or connectivity at home, you may attend in one of the SVU Telecenters. They provide a pc with an Internet connection, free of charge, to all SVU enrolled students. Refer to the Telecenters Code of Conduct in order to know how to reserve your working hours.

First of all, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or Netscape Navigator 6.0 or higher are a must. Then specific software may be required by each course. You will be informed before classes begin. You may also check the Technical Requirements section in our Resources page or contact the Technical Support team for more information or help.

Technical Support voice-chat assistance: the SVU representative can help you immediately in downloading or installing any software and even repair any application, remotely (from a distance).
Email: support@svuonline.org
Phone: +963 11 211 34 64

There are several types of testing; some may be online, such as Drop Quizes. In this case students are informed of the examination at the last moment and have to answer immediately, while the tutor is with them in the class.

Some tests can be done at home, such as take-home exams. These do not need proctoring and students can take their time and submit their answers similarly to any assignment.

Finally the Proctored examinations are administered in the SVU Testing Centers. A representative proctors the exam session which is timed. Usually these are the official examinations.

The SVU has established Testing Centers wherever there are students enrolled, so you may find a close location to attend your exam wherever you are, inside or outside of Syria.

Synchronous sessions require of the all the students and the professor to be online at the same time for virtual classroom meetings. Usually the schedules are decided at the beginning of the semester and students’ preferences are sometimes taken into account.

The rest of the course can be followed up asynchronously, through online content, discussion forums and recoded class sessions.

In virtual classrooms, the tutor is available online via chatting, voice-chatting or video-conference. In such instance you will receive your answers immediately.

Emails and online appointments (voice-chatting or chatting) can be also used for private correspondences.

If your queries are related to the learning material, you may also use the discussion forums where you can benefit from your peers’ questions and others can take advantage of yours.

Each professor will let you know what the appropriate mean to submit your assignment is, according to the task’s requirements. Emails or Live presentations in virtual classrooms are models of project or assignment delivery.

Yes most of the courses require textbooks which will be indicated by the professor in charge of the course. You may order your books via the Students Services Office which handles the Virtual Bookstore.

Email: studentservices@svuonline.org
Phone: +963 11 211 34 72

Yes, a Virtual Library is available to all SVU enrolled students. It is an extensive cluster of information gathered from the best e-libraries worldwide. Regular users would usually have to subscribe and pay a fee in order to access such libraries. SVU students can benefit from them free of charge.