Leveling Courses
For MBA candidates whose undergraduate degree is in a field other than business.
An academic leveling course (ALC) is a course that provides a summary or overview of all the core subjects associated with a program of study. The ALC provides a comprehensive review of all the foundational material associated with the degree program. As a program prerequisite, the ALC ensures that students are leveled to the program of study as they start the degree program. For the Husson University MBA program, the ALC will be completed by students holding a bachelor's degree in a non-business field.
Getting Started:
Q. Why am I taking these academic leveling course exams?
A. The purpose of the academic leveling course is to help develop your foundational business knowledge so that you will be more successful with your degree program. These modules will assist you in measuring your knowledge development.
Q. Who needs to take the ALC exams?
A. Students applying to the MBA program who hold a bachelor's degree in a non-business field will take the ALC exams.
Q. What if my degree is in a non-business field, but I do not want to take the ALC exams? Are there any alternatives?
A. Yes. Students who do not wish to take the ALC exams may instead take the GMAT or GRE and complete six credits of preparatory course work in addition to the 36 credit MBA curriculum.
Q. When do I take the academic leveling course exams?
A. Students must complete the ALC exams prior to registering for their third course. Students will be allowed to take up to six credits prior to completing the ALC exams.
Q. How should I prepare for the academic leveling course exams?
A. The ALC exams consist of 5 pre-tests and 5 post-tests. You don’t need to prepare for the pre-tests because the pre-tests are meant to show your baseline knowledge level and to help you focus your subsequent learning for weaker areas. Your preparation for the posts-tests is by completing the individual modules.
Q. What is the cost of the academic leveling course exams?
A. The academic leveling course exams (5 pre-tests, 5 post-tests and the online study modules) cost $220.
Q. What topics are covered on the ALC exams?
A. The ALC exams cover 5 subject areas:
- Accounting
- Business Finance
- Business Integration & Strategic Management
- Economics
- Quantitative Techniques and Statistics
Q. How long will I need to complete a module?
A. It depends on your previous knowledge levels. A good estimate of time is 4-6 hours.
Q. What do I need to access the academic leveling course exams?
A. You will need a computer with Internet access. No other plug-ins are required.
Q. How do I register for the academic leveling course exams?
A. Students obtain their exam key by self-registration from a micro-site:
- Go to http://micro.peregrineacademics.com/site/husson/login.php
- Enter the pass code HUSSON-1001
- Select “Masters Academic Leveling 5-Course Package”
- Complete the online self-registration process
Taking the Exams:
Q. How do I start the academic leveling course exams once I am registered for the exams?
A. At the conclusion of the self-registration process, a list of the hyperlinked modules will be displayed. When you click the hyperlink, your web browser will open to the appropriate module. You can also access all the academic leveling course modules by using the e-mail sent to you upon completion of the self-registration process. This email also has hyperlinked course names to take you to the corresponding module.
Q. Are the questions the same between the pre-tests and the post-tests?
A. Every exam is unique, representing a random selection from a large database of questions. The types of questions will be the same between the pre-tests and the post-tests; however the exact questions will be different.
Q. How many questions are on each exam?
A. There are 20 questions on each exam. Each exam covers an individual module. Exam questions are multiple choice and True/False.
Q. How much time is allowed to answer each question?
A. You are allowed 5 minutes to answer each question. You will see the time remaining on the screen for each question during the exam.
Q. Am I allowed to take breaks during the Academic Leveling Courses?
A. Yes, you are able to log in and out of the modules as often as you would like. However, you can only take one break during the pre-test or post-test.
Q. What if I need to stop during the exams?
A. You are allowed to stop during an exam and restart at a later time. If you do stop the exam and restart later, you will resume the exam at the next question from where you ended the previous session. You will consequently miss the question you were on. You cannot go back and review previously answered questions. In other words, the ability to exit the exam is only to allow for internet connectivity issues, not for breaks.
Q. Can I "back track" during the exams?
A. No, you will not be able to go back to a question if you decide to skip it. You will need to do your best to answer each question within the allotted time. Otherwise it will be graded as 0 points.
Q. Will I see my score at the end of the exam?
A. Yes, your certificate will show the total score and the topic scores.
Q. Why am I allowed to take the post-test twice?
A. The purpose of the post-test is to assess your knowledge and verify understanding of the topic's concepts. The purpose of the module is, however, for your educational benefit. Therefore, you are allowed to take the post-test twice, if needed. If after taking the post-test the first time you are not satisfied with your score, go back and focus on those areas in the module where you missed questions and then review the information. Then, you are free to take the post-test a second time.
Q. Can I submit my first post-test score if my second post-test score is lower than the first?
A. No. If you choose to take the post-test a second time, then it will be that score that you will use for the module. Therefore, if you choose to take the post-test a second time, be sure to do as well as (and hopefully better), the second time.
Q. What if my post-test scores are low? Does that mean I will not be admitted?
A. Students must achieve a post-test score of 70% or better in each module to successfully complete the ALC. Students will be required to retake any modules in which they receive a post-test score lower than 70%.
Q. What if I score well on the pre-test? Do I still need to take the post-test?
A. Those who score 70 or above on any module pre-test can bypass the study module and post-test for that subject and present the pre-test score for admission in lieu of the post-test score.
Q. How do I print or save my completion certificate?
A. After completing the exam, you will be asked to view and save your certificate. The exam completion certificate will also be automatically emailed to you at the end of the exam.
Q. How long to I have to complete the Academic Leveling Courses?
A. Each module is open for one year. However, note that your exam scores must be received by Graduate Admissions before you will be allowed to register for your third course in the MBA program.
Technical Issues:
Q. I know I am registered but I never received the email. What do I do?
A. Please check your spam or junkmail folder for the email from Peregrine Academic Services or visit http://www.peregrineacademics
.com/home/technical-support to have your registration email resent.
Q. I have the email, but how do I access the ALC exams site?
A. Click on the hyperlinks included with the title of the module you want to access. Each hyperlink directs your web browser to the appropriate site and auto-fills the registration information.
Q. How should I submit the certificate to my program manager?
A. Husson University will obtain exam scores directly from Peregrine Academic Services. To expedite processing you may also email your certificates to Graduate Admissions at graduateschool@husson.edu.
Q. I forgot to save my completion certificate when I finished the academic leveling course exams. What do I do?
A. Look for the email with the completion certificate attached.
Q. How can I find out which tests I've completed or not?
A. You can log into the site using your email address and a unique login password shown on your original registration email. Note 'Äì this password is not the same one you used for the initial registration. Once you have logged in, you will see the list of tests and the test status (active or completed).