9253 Old Keene Mill Rd
Burke, VA 22015
admissions@agora.edu
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1.866.GO.AGORA
Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Burke, VA 22015
Mail Us
Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Agora University accepts foreign transcripts from universities officially recognized by their respective governments in their country of residence. An official stamped and sealed transcript is required from all foreign students.
Agora University may consider for transfer coursework completed at accredited institutions of post- secondary education whose accrediting agencies are recognized by the European Union or by an agency recognized by CHEA. Only coursework completed at a C average or better may be considered for transfer after a review by, and at the discretion of the Dean. Students will need to provide a transcript for all accredited coursework taken and indicate a desire to transfer coursework before enrolling in the current term. A maximum of 50% of graduate coursework can be transferred. A minimum of 50% of graduate coursework must be undertaken at Agora University.
Coursework earned at a non-accredited institution may be submitted for review with an official transcript and course descriptions. Coursework earned at non-accredited institutions will be considered on a case by case basis by the Academic Dean. In most cases, refusal to transfer work will be based on content or academic standards incompatible with the courses required for graduation at Agora University.
Please note that Agora University courses might not be transferable to other institutions. It is only at the discretion of the receiving institution to make that decision.
Individuals with extensive ministry experience and a high school degree, but without an accredited bachelor’s degree, may petition for provisional acceptance into the MTS or Certificate programs. They must submit an essay and other evidence that they are capable of doing graduate-level work and evidence of experiential learning. A committee will review the petition and if it qualifies an interview will be scheduled with the applicant and a final decision will be communicated thereafter. Students must earn a GPA of at least 3.0 in their first four courses. No more than 5 percent of the students in the MTS program can be admitted without a bachelor’s degree.
Applications will be assessed against academic and non-academic selection criteria. Methods of assessing applications vary between courses but may include: prior and predicted academic achievement, references, personal or supporting statements, and a personal interview. Applicants may not omit any requested or relevant information, make any misrepresentation (for example, through plagiarism) or give false information at any point of the application process including after an offer is made. Should this occur the University reserves the right to dismiss the application, or withdraw an offer of admission.
A student who is registered in a single course and participates in the course in which no assessment of student work is graded. University fees do not apply to auditing students. Audit students pay their tuition based on their country of residence (Part I or Part II countries).
Auditing students may petition the instructor to have their work and participation graded. Students who have successfully audited a course and earned a passing grade and provided all application materials may submit a change of status request to the registrar (registrar@agora.edu) to be regarded as a regular student.
Upon a change of status from being an auditing student to a regular student, Library and Technology fees will be billed to the student account.
This policy was established to aid in the planning of computer purchase(s) throughout the completion of the Agora University programs.
The University strongly recommends that students entering our programs have appropriate and updated mid-range consumer-grade laptop. Students should consider using a laptop that is already owned or another existing computer if possible. If you do not have access to a laptop already and must purchase a new one, we have some recommendations below. Again, please note that if you already have a laptop it does not need to meet the specifications below. These specifications are only for people who don’t already have access to a laptop and must purchase a new one. Some courses in the university may require a more robust system, so be sure to verify any class/software requirements before making a purchase. The University will update these specifications on an annual or biannual basis to match advances in software and hardware requirements.
Example minimum hardware specs:
Software Requirements:
You must have access to a computer connected to the internet. If you are reading this Handbook, you probably already meet the requirements. Dial-up connections will be sufficient for accessing readings in most classes, but all courses have substantial video materials, which will display better if you have a DSL or cable connection. You may use any of the common browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari. Most of our course reading materials are in PDF format. There is a link to three free PDF readers on our public information page. The PDF pages are designed for full-size computers; tablets may provide an adequate display, but the materials may be difficult to read on smaller devices. We require that you have a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word. Free word-processing programs are also suitable. We require that you also have a webcam with a microphone, for identity verification and live sessions. Your internet connection must be able to transmit video.
Upon receiving a Letter of Admission from Agora University, the Student will also receive an Enrollment Agreement which must be signed and returned to the University for the Admissions process to be finalized. Upon receiving the signed Enrollment Agreement, the University Registrar will enroll students in their respective courses.
1.1 NUMBER OF CREDIT HOURS
The student must complete:
Normal enrollment for a graduate student is six credit hours per semester. Auditing students may register in courses on an a-la-carte basis.
TYPES AND REGULATIONS OF A LEAVE OF ABSENCE
1- Personal Leave: for students who plan to take leave for one or a maximum of two semesters for personal reasons (health, financial, work-related, etc.).
2- Military Service Leave: for students who are called to active duty with the Military. Students may leave for the duration of their military assignment in active duty.
3- Study Leave: for students who are planning to take specialized pre-approved courses at another accredited institution to supplement their studies or satisfy other academic requirements of Agora University. The duration of this leave of absence is determined and pre-approved by the Dean and cannot exceed two semesters for a master's program and cannot exceed four semesters for the doctoral program.
It is the responsibility of students to keep the Registrar apprised of their activities and to ensure that the Registrar is aware of their enrollments and progress. Any leave of absence must be approved by the Dean and submitted to the Registrar for proper filing.
ENROLLMENT STATUS
1- Enrolled
2- On Leave (officially recognized after petitioning the Dean)
3- Withdrawn (were once enrolled but have not been for one or more semesters.
4- Dismissed (officially acted upon by the Dean)
5- Graduated (once all requirements have been met and verified by the Registrar, the Director of Finance, and the Dean)
Upon submitting all required items and completing the application form, the Director of Admissions will send an email within 3 business days to schedule a Zoom Interview. Usually interviews are 20-30 minutes. The Interview Committee consists of the Director of Admissions and two other faculty/staff members. After the interview, the Committee will make a decision. Decisions may take up to 3 weeks.
Agora will notify the applicant of its decision of the interview and application by email. This notification is usually made within 10 days of the completion of the Application and Interview Process, but it could take up to 3 weeks depending on the number of candidates being interviewed. The admission status made is either full admission or denied admission.
Full Admission
Full admission is offered to the applicant for which Agora has received all admission documentation as required or requested, no additional demonstration of qualification is needed, and the applicant appears to be the kind of student who would benefit from study at Agora.
Denied Admission
An applicant denied admission does not meet the qualifications for admission.
Students must register their disability status at the time of the admission application. If a diagnosis is received after the student has been enrolled, the student must inform the registrar of the disability status. Students diagnosed with and possessing appropriate documentation of a learning disability (or other disability impairing some aspect of distance learning) are given additional time added to the due dates of assignments and examinations without penalty.
Charge | 2023/2024 Academic Year |
Tuition per Credit Hour | $222.22 Per Credit Hour |
Application Fee (non-refundable) | $50 |
Technology Fee (per year) | $100 |
Library Fee (per year) | $100 |
Graduation Fee (one-time after graduation) **Please note that students requesting a European Union Degree through UCAM will be charged a non-refundable processing fee of $450. | $50 |
*These tuition fees include tuition, educational services, textbooks and instructional materials
Additionally, Bishop Epiphanius Merit-based Scholarships are awarded in recognition of exceptional or outstanding academic achievement.
Tuition: Charge for instruction including course content, textbooks, educational services, and instructional materials. This charge is billed 14 days before the beginning of a course.
Application Fee: This fee is required at the time of submitting an online application for admission. This fee is non-refundable.
Technology Fee: This fee is associated with supporting and maintenance of the technological services offered to students including the Learning Management System (LMS), the Student Information System (SIS), and the Student email account. This fee is billed once a year and is due at the beginning of every year. This fee is refundable as per the refund schedule detailed below.
Library Fee: This fee is associated with all library services offered by the University including subscription to electronic databases (i.e. LIRN, Ebscohost, JSTOR, ProQuest, etc.). This fee also includes subscription to the Virtual Librarian services to support student library requests 7 days a week. This fee is billed once a year and is due at the beginning of every year. This fee is non-refundable.
Graduation Fee: This fee is associated with processing documents (i.e. Diplomas, Transcripts, etc.) post-graduation. This fee is billed only at the successful completion of our programs after the student has completed all graduation requirements and has been approved by the office of the Registrar for graduation without having any academic or financial holds on their record. This fee is non-refundable.
Regular MTS Student: A student who is registered in 6 credit hours per term. This student is expected to finish the Master’s program (MTS) in 2 years.
Regular Certificate Student: A student who is registered in at least 3 credit hours per term. This student is expected to finish the Certificate program in 1 year.
Auditing Student: A student who is registered in a single course and participates in the course in which no assessment of student work is graded. University fees do not apply to auditing students. Audit students pay their tuition based on their country of residence (Part I or Part II countries). Upon a change of status from being an auditing student to a regular student, Library and Technology fees will be billed to the student account.
Part I Countries: USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Part II Countries: These are countries facing socio-economic challenges in the following regions: The Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Subsidies: Financial assistance funds applied to Part II countries to offset the cost of tuition charges.
Discount Groups: A special reduced rate applied to tuition charges (does not apply to University fees), which is extended to an organization or corporation who has signed a partnership agreement with the University.
Employees of the Alexandria School Foundation, a strategic partner of Agora University, receive an additional 30% discount on the tuition rate if they reside in Part II countries.
1- Tuition and university fees can be paid electronically online via Credit Card in USD through the Student Information System (Populi Web). Invoices are generated by the Accounting Office and sent 14 days prior to the start of a course and is due for payment 7 days prior to the course start date. Invoices are available on the SIS for the fastest, most secure, and convenient way for students to make payments online. The SIS notifies students of an invoice by sending an automated email.
2- For students residing in Egypt, cash payments in USD can be made through the University’s partner in Egypt, the Alexandria School Foundation. For more information, please contact admissions@agora.edu
3- Students may also contact the Accounting Office to arrange payment via Wire Transfer using the following details:
a. Wells Fargo Bank Account Number: 1227255559
b. Account Name: Agora University
c. SWIFT/BIC code WFBIUS6S
d. Wire Transfers (Domestic): 121000248
4- Students may choose to make their tuition payments based on a payment plan setup with the Office of Finance, and suitable to the length of the program they are admitted to. Please note that no student is able to graduate unless they have satisfied all their financial obligations to the University.
REFUND SCHEDULE FOR TUITION AND FEES FOR ALL HTC PROGRAMS
Deadline | Percentage of Tuition Refunded | Application Fee | Technology Fee* | Library Fee | Graduation Fee |
Before Week 1 | 100% | Non-Refundable | 100% | Non-Refundable | Non-Refundable |
Week 1-3 | 100% | Non-Refundable | 100% | Non-Refundable | Non-Refundable |
Start of 4th Week | 50% | Non-Refundable | 50% | Non-Refundable | Non-Refundable |
Start of 5th Week | 40% | Non-Refundable | 40% | Non-Refundable | Non-Refundable |
Start of 6th Week | 30% | Non-Refundable | 30% | Non-Refundable | Non-Refundable |
Start of 7th Week | 20% | Non-Refundable | 20% | Non-Refundable | Non-Refundable |
Start of 8th Week | 10% | Non-Refundable | 10% | Non-Refundable | Non-Refundable |
Start of 9th Week | 0% (No Refund) | Non-Refundable | 0% (No Refund) | Non-Refundable | Non-Refundable |
* Note: The Technology Fee refund is proportional to the total credits eligible to be taken during the year. For example, if the Technology Fee is $100 per year, and the regular student load is 18 credits per year, then the Technology Fee per credit hour is $5.56.
If a student registered in 6 credit hours sends a withdrawal request during the fifth week of the semester, the student will receive a refund of 40% of the tuition and the Technology Fee:
Refund Percentage: 40%
Tuition Charge: $222.22 x 6 credit hours = $1333.32
Technology Fee Charge per year: $100
Technology Fee divided by number of credit hours per year: Assuming 18 credit hours per year for this sample calculation, the total Technology Fee for 1 credit hours is $5.56: $5.56 x 6 credit hours = $33.36
Total tuition and fees paid: $1,433.32
Refund: ($1333.32 + $33.36) x 40% = $546.67
Studying at HTC helped me to perceive the church as a living body of Christ and taught me how to embrace that, and to look at every member of the church as a true member and the one I have to love.
Agora University is registered in the United States with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization, Tax-ID number 45-2832530.
Agora University is a religious institution exempt from state regulation and oversight in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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