Which
course should I choose?
If you are a beginner in electronics, you have two options:
A. You can enroll in Course 1B first. It is a lab course and is
designed to teach you theory and to give you the skills required
of an electronics technician. Upon completion of 1B you can then
re-enroll into any of CIE's other lab courses or the A.A.S. Degree
Program and receive 100% credit for all the work you did in Course
1B.
B. If you are sure you want to get a diploma from a more advanced
course or an A.A.S. Degree, you can enroll in that course
from the start. You can enroll in 11, 14B or the A.A.S. Degree
course without taking course 1B first. This is a faster route
to the advanced diploma or to the A.A.S. Degree. In the case
of the A.A.S. course, you can save the total cost of the course,
since you only pay for the terms it takes you to complete
the course.[top]
Does
CIE grant academic credit?
Credit may be granted for previous education with A.A.S. Degree
students only. A maximum of 53 credit hours, out of the total
106 required for the degree, may be given. If you apply for
academic credit, indicate that you want advanced standing
when you fill out your Enrollment Agreement. Include transcripts
or other documentation (such as your DD214 or DD295 from the
military) and CIE will evaluate them for credit. Credit is
granted by removing certain lessons from the total 254 required
for the A.A.S. Degree. If you have any questions regarding
academic credit, contact us at our toll-free number: 1-800-243-6446.[top]
What
if I need a course extension?
If you have a legitimate medical or personal reason that prevents
you from studying for a period, CIE may be able to extend
your course for a nominal fee. Such extensions are solely
at CIE's discretion, and will be kept in complete confidence.[top]
How
much does the course cost?
Course prices and terms of payment are listed on the Enrollment
Agreement.[top]
What
will CIE's courses give me?
Most employers are looking for someone they can train on their
equipment. They expect you to know the principles and have
the skills of a technician when they hire you. That's what
CIE courses are intended to give you. [top]
Are
CIE's credits transferable?
Transfer credit from CIE to another educational institution
is entirely at the discretion of the other institution, and
CIE does not guarantee complete transfer or credit. [top]
Can
I upgrade my equipment?
The equipment that comes with all CIE lab
courses is of good quality and is sufficient for the work
done in the experiments (with the exception of the IBM computer
system in Course 1C, which we do not supply). For students
who prefer instruments with upgraded specifications, these
are available through the CIE Bookstore. [top]
Are
there prerequisites for CIE's courses?
If you intend to enroll in Course 2, 4, 5 or 6, we recommend
that you have some previous training in electronics. If you
do not have any previous training, or if you do not possess
troubleshooting skills (such as using test equipment, soldering
or reading schematic diagrams) we recommend, but do not require,
that you first take course 1B. After graduating from 1B, you
can then enroll in one of these more advanced courses at a
substantial discount. This will ensure that you have the most
complete training required for jobs in these areas.[top]
How long should it take me to complete a lesson?
On average, CIE students complete 2-3 lessons a week.
This is an average, though, and completion times for different lessons vary quite a bit. The introductory lessons at the beginning of most of our courses do not take much time to complete. But the calculus lessons in the AAS course take a little longer.
This is the main reason why the lessons have different credit-hour weights. An introductory lesson may count as about .1 or .2 credit hour, but the calculus lessons count for about .8. Accordingly, we expect students to need more time to complete them than they do for the introductory lessons.
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