Frequently Asked Questions for both the... Short Course in Business Applications on the Internet Programme in Online Business Management

What is the cost of this course? These courses cost a bit more than other courses. Why? Must I pay the amount all at once or can a pay a deposit and the rest later? Is there not an overlap between the Short Course and Programme? Who is the course aimed at? Who is this course not aimed at? What will I learn? What is the value of the course to me? Will a lecturer be available to help me? How long is the course? Will I get a certificate? What modules does the courses comprise? Help! I'd like to do this course but I know little about the Internet. Must I pass all the study units in the Short Course in order to pass the module? What are the official names for these courses? What are the module codes for this courses? Do I need to have a computer? Must I have access to the Internet? What prerequisites are there? What course material will I get? How do I go about registering? Who do I contact for more information? What is the cost of this course? The three-month Short Course in Business Applications on the Internet costs R2950. There is no VAT payable, so this is the full amount due. These courses cost a bit more than other courses. Why? The nature of the Internet requires a great deal more involvement on the part of the teaching staff. There are regular e-mails, discussion sessions and other forms of interaction. In addition, the course includes a magazine subscription, several manuals and a textbook, as well as a CD with useful software and is presented in an attractive presentation box. We are also negotiating accrediation with local and international authorities (more about this soon) and this also adds to the cost. Must I pay the amount all at once or can a pay a deposit and the rest later? Normally, in the case of a Short Course, the full fee is due at registration. However, we have obtained permission to offer that students pay a deposit of R1500 at registration and the remaining R1450 can then be paid in two further installments of R750 and R700 at the end of August and September, respectively. Students who have not paid their fees in full, will not be permitted to write the exam or graduate. Will there not be an overlap between the Short Course and Programme? Not at all! The Programme incorporates the Short Course! The Programme comprises four modules, one of which is the Short Course module. Furthermore, the Programme builds on what is learnt in the Short Course and takes the student to a higher level. Who is the course aimed at? These two courses are aimed at students, employees, managers, entrepreneurs, administrative and secretarial staff and professionals - basically, anyone who is interested in learning more about the Internet and e-commerce for their own benefit or for use at work. The Short Course is an excellent foundation course dealing with business applications on the Internet and is aimed at the following target audience: Directors who want take advantage of the virtual marketplace Managers that are increasingly coming into contact with the Internet and e-commerce in the workplace Professionals who believe that the Internet and e-commerce can help their respective practices Students who want to equip themselves to tackle the challenges of cyberspace Entrepreneurs that are looking for additional business opportunities in the online world Secretaries and administrative personal that are increasingly using the Internet for communications and research The Programme is a more advanced course and is aimed at: Directors dealing with e-commerce issues Managers that are responsible for developing a firm's e-commerce services Professionals and entrepreneurs who want to market themselves over the Internet Students who are planning to seek a career sometime in the future in the world of e-commerce The Programme is probably not ideal for secretaries or administrative staff, unless they are likely to be involved directly in e-commerce activities. Who is the course not aimed at? See the next section/FAQ. Who is this course not aimed at? This course is not a technical course and web developers who want to learn how to develop web pages should not consider the course, unless they want to learn more about the management and business side of the Internet. Experienced corporate e-commerce managers may also find that the course does not meet their needs, unless they are looking for a route to certification. Gamers and techies may also find that the course does not meet their needs. What will I learn? Depending on which modules you choose, you will learn a great deal about doing business on the Internet. This course is practically orientated, so much of what you will learn will come from time spent online visiting real examples of e-commerce web sites and learning from others about what e-commerce tools are available to you and how to put them to work. What is the value of the course to me? Not only will you become e-commerce literate, but you will receive certification from one of South Africa's most reputable and largest tertiary institutions, namely Unisa. You will also receive course material that will prove useful as a source of reference for the future. We are also negotiating accreditation with local and international authorities (more about this soon).   Will a lecturer be available to help me? Yes. You will receive a great deal of assistance from the lecturer, who will be sending you regular e-mails and who will be available to deal with telephone, fax and e-mail queries. The lecturer will also conduct regular online chat and discussions, where the group can also learn from each other. How long is the course? The Short Course is three months long and the first intake ends at the end of May 2004, with the exams taking place in May/June 2004. The Programme is one year long and runs from February 2005 to January 2006. Will I get a certificate? Yes. Both the Short Course and the Programme form part of Unisa's Centre for Business Management's excellent portfolio of courses and if you complete the Short Course successfully, you will receive a certificate at a formal Centre certificate ceremony sometime later in the year. Students who go on to successfully complete the Programme in Online Business Management, will also receive a separate certificate at a graduation ceremony early in the following year. What modules do the courses comprise? The Short Course, which represents a single module, comprises five study units. These study units are: Online Business Communications This module introduces you to e-mail (and e-mail marketing), as well as to other online communication channels such as Usenet, ICQ, IRC, etc. An interesting module with lots of practical interaction. Students will leanr about online Netiquette and will be expected to communicate with each other and even create a basic e-mail marketing campaigns (E-mail marketing is also dealt with in more detail in the. Powersearching in Online Business An excellent choice for all students. This module will teach you how search engines work, what the differences are between the various search engines, directories and meta-search engines and to get the most from your online search efforts. It looks at both international and local search engines and explains how to select keywords, combine multiple keywords using search operators (such as Boolean) and how to evaluate your search results. A must-do module for any person who spends time looking for information on the Internet. Basic HTML & Elements of Web Design A solid (and quite comprehensive) introduction to HTML and web page creation. The objective behind this module is not necessarily to teach students to become web designers (although it is comprehensive enough for those who may later want to expand into web site development full time), but instead is aimed at introducing the limitations and challenges of web page creation to managers who will probably be working with web developers and will want to know what can be expected of their development team. Also useful for the entrepreneur who wants to take charge of creating his or her own web site. It is a practical course and you will be expected to create your own basic web pages. The course does not teach graphic design, however, although it does touch on the important elements of web design. Fundamentals of E-commerce This module is probably an excellent choice for most students and will introduce you to the fundamentals of e-commerce, including what e-commerce is all about, the changing paradigms facing online managers, what business opportunities are available online, how to establish a presence online, and what the various business-to-consumer models. Principles of E-commerce Management This module deals with issues to do with planning, managing, controlling and evaluating your e-commerce efforts. It introduces you to several e-commerce models and deals with issues such as ensuring that your e-commerce activities fit in with your organisation's existing strategic focus, return on investment and on promoting your online activities to your target market. The Programme comprises as further three modules and these are: Module 1: See the Short Course outline above. Module 2: Creating an online presence - this module deals with the issues and steps involved in setting up shop in cyberspace. Issues such as the process, the logistics, merchant accounts, online payments, as well as store creation and website design are covered. Module 3: Internet marketing - in this module the student deals with issues such as defining marketing in an online context, online consumer behaviour, the marketing mix in the virtual realm, one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many marketing, online advertising and public relations, database marketing, e-mail marketing, online customer relationship marketing, online marketing research, viral and network marketing, affiliate and associate marketing, e-branding and e-tailing. Module 4: Advanced e-commerce - in this module, the business-to-business (e-business) side of e-commcer is covered. The module deals with topcis such as electronic data interchange, value added networks, intranets and extranets, virtual private networks, applications service providers, systems integration, database mining, knowledge management, online security, e-procurement and online payments. Help! I'd like to do this course but I know little about the Internet. Not to worry. There is a solid introduction to the Internet that you will find at http://www.learnthenet.co.za. It's free and maintained by one of the lecturers. It will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the Internet and the World Wide Web, including some of the technical structures and terminology that are common in the online language. You will also learn some useful facts about using your web browser. Over 20 000 students have used this course from around the country already and many people have been quite complimentary about the course. Feel free to visit it - you will be introduced to the basics. Must I pass all the study units in the Short Course in order to pass the module? Your final mark will be an average of the marks that you receive for each of the five study units. You could therefore fail a study unit, but still pass the module. A pass is 50% and a distinction is 75%. What are the official names for these courses? The three-month course is called the Short Course in Business Applications on the Internet and its programme code is BATPR (note the use of the term "programme" is for the Centre's internal system and refers to a code allocated to a particular course; it is different in meaning to the term "Programme" where it is used to describe a one-year course). The one-year course is called the Programme Online Business Management and has not yet been allocated a programme code. Note, that in addition to programme codes, there are also module codes - see the next FAQ. The programme code is information that you will need in order to complete question 15 of the Centre's registration form, so note it down. What are the module codes for these courses? The module code for the Short Course is BAT101-C and the module name is Business Applications on the Internet. There is only one module for the Short Course. Please note that although you are expected to complete five study units for the Short Course, for the Centre's registration purposes the Short Course represents a single module. No module codes have yet been allocated for the three out of the four modules in the Programme in Online Business Management (remember, that the Short Course module forms part of the Programme, so for this first module of the Programme the code remains the same (i.e. BAT101-C)). The modules will be allocated later this year.     Do I need to have a computer? A computer alone won't be of much benefit, but it would certainly help to have a computer that is also connected to the Internet as many of the tasks and assignments you will need to do, will have to be done online. However, it will be possible - if your organise our studies accordingly - to do the practical online work at a local Internet Cafe or perhaps at a friend's place. Must I have access to the Internet? It would be very beneficial to have access to the Internet (whether at home, at work, or at a friend's home), as many of the tasks and assignments you will need to do, will have to be done online. However, it will be possible - if your organise our studies accordingly - to do the practical online work at a local Internet Cafe. What prerequisites are there? You must know how to work with a computer and mouse; basic computer literacy is therefore a prerequisite. This course is offered in English only. What course material will I get? You will receive an attractive bookshelf box containing a 360-page textbook ("E-commerce for SA Managers"), additional study manuals and course material, as well as CDs with software, a six-month magazine subscription and other useful tools and information. How do I go about registering? To register for this course, you will need to register with the Centre for Business Management first. This you can do this in the following ways: Request a registration form to be faxed to you from the persons mentioned below (under "Who do I contact for more information") Download a registration form from the Centre's web site at http://www.unisa.ac.za/cbm/register.html Complete the online registration form at the same address, namely http://www.unisa.ac.za/cbm/register.html Remember, whichever route you take, you will have to pay the deposit in advance before the Centre will register you and you will need to provide proof of having paid this deposit. The programme name (question 15 on the registration form) is the "Short Course in Business Applications on the Internet" (BATPR) and the module code (question 16 on the registration form) is BAT101-C (Business Applications on the Internet). Please note that although you are expected to complete five study units for this short course, for the Centre's registration purposes the course is seen as a single module. Who do I contact for more information? You can contact the following person for more information: Neels Bothma Cell: 082-8808549 Tel: 012-429 4376 (mornings only) Fax: 012-6676065 bothmch@unisa.ac.co