A cohort is a group of 10 to 15 people who start and then journey through the program together. In our master's program, participants attend each class, one class at a time, with the same group of people. We believe education is a social experience, and as participants in a cohort get to know each other, they learn as much or more from each other as from the instructors. The cohort becomes the learning experience. Because of the unique nature of cohort education, students cannot start midway through the cohort.
Students begin the program as one group, and finish the program as one group.
Through a process of Internet communication, bulletin boards, discussion groups, and video and audio tapes, people may earn their degree at home without attending regular, traditional courses at the Concordia campus. The distance education program begins with a five-day residency at the Concordia University campus in St. Paul, Minnesota. At the residency, students learn the technology they will be using, and begin their first class. They will meet the instructors, and will have a chance to ask questions about specific courses. Students will also meet the department staff and learn the support services that are available.