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General iQ Academy questions
Yes, iQ Academy (Pty) Ltd, Company Registration No. 2006/033114/07: is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a Private Higher Education Institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997, Registration Certificate No. 2012/HE07/001. Learn more about our accreditations.
We have always driven innovation and change in our institutional processes to support the delivery of industry-aligned courses and programmes, so that iQ Academy can offer our students the best learning experience at the most affordable fees.
iQ Academy has its roots in distance education and was an early adopter of online web-based learning. Our first online learning platform was launched in 2014 and we built on that success by embedding technology into our world, all with the goal of providing affordable and quality online learning.
We have been around for 17 years as a private education group and in that time saw 40,000 students completing our courses. We now develop our online curricula with industry experts and embedded industry best practices to ensure we meet the expectation of the next generation of learners. If you are unsure, complete one of our enrolment application forms and one of our experienced consultants will call you back to discuss our programmes.
Any formal or informal academic activity is beneficial to your career. Key benefits of doing a short course, in terms of your career include:
1) Promotional opportunities
The more you equip yourself with the key and in-demand skills your company requires, the more you become a necessary component of the company's success. Investing regularly in online certificate courses continually enhances your promotion prospects, and it highlights to your employers your dedication to personal development and growth, a key element any organisation looks for in star employees.
2) Higher Salary
There are very few people that would disagree that having a higher salary is something that motivates them. Incorporating online short courses into developing your professional profile is a positive habit to develop, and will help fast-track the acquisition of key skills that supercharges your salary increase discussion.
3) Deeper skills sets
In today's world, you have the freedom and opportunity to strategically build your skills and develop critical competencies by completing online short courses. These new skills and competencies can be applied in your current role or help you qualify for that aspiring promotion you are dreaming of.
4) Becoming an entrepreneur
Going to a university and getting a degree is not necessarily a path every entrepreneur takes. Some of us know exactly what we want to do and what direction we want to take our life in. If you want to start your own business you will need to be equipped with a diverse set of skills. Some you may already have and others can be developed through online short courses, setting you up to become a successful entrepreneur.
5) Freedom and fun
Online short courses are a flexible and fun way to learn, you can study anytime, anywhere with no pressure. The interactive and rich learning content at your fingertips enables you to complete your course with minimal effort. The mobility associated with online courses and learning platforms makes it not only convenient but also fun.
Whether you are a professional or a school leaver you could be completing short online courses to improve your career in as little as a few months.
My studies
The following learning activities form part of your overall learning path:
- Onboarding course (included in the course duration)
- Self-paced reading and activity completion
- Multimedia activities such as video clips and podcasts
- Completion of quizzes and continuous assessments
- Online announcements of activities and assignment submission
- Self-reflection
- Case studies
- Assessment activities and compulsory submission of formative and summative assessments per module
All our courses are backed by a recognition and certification policy:
- Self-paced short course: Upon successful completion of your course and payment of all your course fees, a student will receive a digital certificate of competence.
- Micro courses: Upon successful completion of your course, a student will receive a digital certificate of completion.
Virtual Campus
The iQ Virtual Campus will be your learning platform for the duration of your course. Through its mobile-friendly and easy-to-use interface, you'll have access to different course content formats, including interactive content, video lectures, unit notes, practice activities, presentations, assessments, and many other additional resources.
The course content is curated for self-directed studies and is perfect for online students. Each unit of your course is released on a learning plan, giving you the opportunity to study at your own pace and in your own time. You can manage your learning, make payments and check your results all in one convenient place.
In order to qualify for certification, you must fulfill all requirements for your online course, including completing and passing all assessments. You can review your progress in each course by accessing your online Gradebook by going to "My Courses" and clicking on the relevant course. Additionally, all fees associated with your payment plan must be fully paid with no outstanding balance. Once both of these conditions are met, you'll be able to download your digital certificate.
For a small additional fee, you also have the option to request a printed copy of your certificate.
Course questions
Short courses are typically non-credit-bearing programmes, affording students the opportunity to build their professional credentials without the higher cost and time associated with studying for a university degree or qualification.
Short courses in general terms are designed to offer fundamental knowledge and skills or be advanced learning in a specific area or discipline. Thus depending on the learner's unique requirement they can serve a multitude of learning opportunities.
Our short courses can be completed over several weeks or months, depending on the course you enrol for. iQ short courses are designed to complement a working professional's lifestyle through flexible and managed online learning.
Our short course curricula are developed by industry experts and academics and are internally quality-assured and approved by our Academic Board. Our short courses are institutional programmes and are non-credit bearing.
Short courses are traditionally not credit-bearing in Higher Education, with some exceptions possible. Our short courses are not credit-bearing and you will not be able to get credits toward a degree or diploma. Some of our short courses are aligned to modules in our higher certificates and can be used as entry and in some cases, an application for recognition of prior learning (RPL) can be done to obtain access. Speak to our registration department for more information.
Some courses however are endorsed by certain professional bodies, and/or may contribute towards one’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points, Continuing Education Units (CEU), Professional Development Units (PDU), or other similar learning units as detailed on the respective course pages.
No, a short course is not a qualification. A short course is a specific type of course. The key differences between a qualification and a short course are:
1) Qualifications are credit-bearing and lead to a recognised qualification, and short courses are not (exceptions do exist).
2) Qualifications are quality controlled by regulatory bodies and institutions are required to be accredited to offer them, whilst short courses are industry-developed courses that are quality controlled by the provider's academic structures.
3) Qualifications are lengthy and require significant study time, whilst short courses can be as short as a few minutes or days.
4) The rationale and purpose of qualifications and short courses are vastly different.
The decision of what type of course or programme a student pursues is as unique as humankind. So consult specialists, friends and family, do your research, and plan your career. You can consider a short course as an aid to specialize further or see your studies from a different perspective before you make a decision to do a full qualification.
The choice to study is personal and unique to each individual, as such there is no cookie-cutter approach. There is however a surefire way to clarify your decision, through a simple 10-step process:
- Identify your reason to study
- Decide on your career path
- Identify skills requirements
- Decide on the mode
- Research and choose
- Budget
- Assess your eligibility
- Apply
- Plan your study time, to make sure you are prepared to start your course
- Ensure that you stay committed once you have made your decision to upskill yourself
iQ Academy hosts a graduation ceremony once a year for our qualifications students that have completed any of our higher certificates or diplomas. Short courses do not have a graduation ceremony and their certification will happen on completion of the course.
Kindly note that iQ Academy does not endorse or support any privately organised ceremonies for short courses and students must be vigilant of scams in this respect. If our logos and branding are used it is done illegally and without our consent and must please be reported to us. If in doubt please contact us for assistance.
Online short courses are ideal for working students wanting to invest in their careers. They are great options to add skills and knowledge whilst you work full time. The structure of online short courses is also of such a nature that they provide more flexible learning paths with less pressure being put on working students. You can normally study online short courses at your own pace and check your progress against the suggested completion timeframes.
Online learning has placed engaging and interactive learning content at each student's fingertips. The mobility associated with online courses and learning platforms makes it not only convenient but also very fun.