Noncredit Online Learning

About online learning:

Online learning is a fun, enjoyable and very productive way to learn. Millions of people are learning online each year. You will engage with and get to know the instructor and other participants. It’s easy, and fun!

For a full listing of courses, visit our course directory.

How the courses work:

It is easy to participate in your LERN online course. After you register, you will be given a web address to access your online classroom. You will use your email address and a password to gain access.

Participate when you want:

You can participate any time of day or evening. The online classroom is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are no live real-time requirements or meetings. You decide when you want to participate. For the best learning, participants should log into the course on 2-3 different days of the week. For best learning, you should make one or more comments at 2-3 different times each day.

What you will do:

• Access the online readings.
• Listen to the audio presentation for the unit and view slides.
• Take a self-quiz to see how much you have learned.
• Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants.

The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again at your convenience.

Discussion:

The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or evening. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

Explore noncredit certificate and noncredit course listings below.

You may enroll up to five days after the start date.

Business Communication

• Certificate in Customer Service

  Read more about the Certificate in Customer Service

  Customer service is now essential for business and all work organizations. With the increase of technology, human interaction with customers becomes all the more important. Whether it relates to retaining customers, serving your audience, or turning inquiries from potential customers into sales, good customer service is now one of the central factors in organizational success. Learn to improve your customer service skills to enhance your career skill set, improve productivity, and increase your organization’s success. You will also take away some extraordinary customer service techniques you will not find anywhere else. Includes both Extraordinary Customer Service and Keys to Customer Service.

• Extraordinary Customer Service

  Read more about Extraordinary Customer Service

  Transform your customer service into something extraordinary. As a result, more repeat business will improve your bottom line. Customer service separates you from your competition. Extraordinary customer service comes from focusing on the few essential elements that yield big results. Discover how easy it is to tweak your customer service from the ordinary to the extraordinary. You will take away a customer service plan that will help you focus on the key elements that will get you started on your pathway to success.

• Keys to Customer Service

  Read more about Keys to Customer Service

  Learning to build your customer service skills will have a powerful impact on your career success as well as success in other areas of your life.  Through this course, you will discover the direct relationship between service skills and career achievement.  You will become skilled at being an exceptional service provider.  You can help your organization and your career by translating your good service intentions into a workable plan and gain knowledge of ways to consistently deliver great service.  The payoff is enormous. 

• Getting Started in Sales

  Read more about Getting Started in Sales

  Finding new clients or customers can be challenging, reaching out to them and actually making a sale is a whole other thing. Whether you are a beginner new to the sales process or a seasoned professional who loves selling, understanding the basic steps of sales and freeing your mind of negativity is the foundation to your business success. Save time, money and effort with these tried and true proven sales techniques that are guaranteed to deliver proven results.

Career skills

• Mastering Computer Skills for the Workplace

  Read more about Mastering Computer Skills for the Workplace

  Must-have skills to succeed in the workplace include the ability to create, edit and manage presentations in MS PowerPoint, documents in MS Word, email and calendars in MS Outlook, and spreadsheets in MS Excel. Microsoft Office Suite of applications is the most used software tool in the world. Stay current with this class, as it is always up-to-date and will change as the features of MS Office change over time. Master the most common uses so that you can work faster and more efficiently and can take your computer skills from plain and drab to exciting and engaging. You will leave class with a set of skills that are a workplace requirement in today’s fast paced ever-changing environment and will enable your future career success.

Workplace topics

• Change in the Workplace

  Read more about Change in the Workplace

  Most people do not like change even when they know that change is inevitable and will happen with or without your consent. A recent Gallup study found that nearly 70% of the American workforce is disengaged from their jobs. They perceive changes in careers to be too difficult to accomplish or they are too old, not skilled enough and may lack the funds to change their skill set. The good news is that those who are willing to embrace change are much more likely to thrive under new conditions. Take home strategies on how to deal with changes in your work environment and even how to introduce changes to your workplace culture.

• Dealing with Difficult People in the Workplace

  Read more about Dealing with Difficult People in the Workplace

  Dealing with difficult personalities and broaching challenging subjects is a workplace necessity and takes skill, tact, and confidence. Gain skills to be an effective team member and leader in the workplace by taking control of the conversation, managing your reactions, and navigating problematic interactions with ease. These skills will guide you to find your voice and communicate effectively in workplace interactions, making day-to-day interactions run smoothly.

New Media marketing

• Google Analytics

  Read more about Google Analytics

  If you are not reviewing your website statistics, then you are missing several key opportunities to profit from your website traffic. This course, aimed at non-technical users, will take you through all the key techniques and how to use website analytics using the world-standard Google Analytics, a free online tool. You will understand your visitor traffic better, learn how to calculate return on investment (ROI) for your online advertising, and find out how to get more conversions and sales from your website visitors. A must for anyone serious about leveraging more success from their website.

• Podcasting

  Read more about Podcasting

  Businesses are turning to podcasting to grow their brand and connect with customers. People with a niche hobby are turning podcasts into a business. Podcasting is experiencing a rebirth as mobile devices are everywhere. The intimate nature of the audio medium allows potential clients to get to know who you are and determine if you are the kind of company with which they want to do business. Learn how to take your business or hobby and turn it into a podcast. This step-by-step class will take you from start to finish and cover the required elements needed to get your show online. Come to class with your idea and end with your show online for all to hear.

You may cancel your registration up until you receive your login in and password from LERN and receive a full refund minus any credit card processing fees. After that date, no refunds will be given. Cancellations must be received by the program manager, Christina Draper, via email.

In the unlikely event that this program is canceled or postponed due to insufficient enrollments or unforeseen circumstances, VCU OCPE will fully refund registration fees, but cannot be held responsible for any other expenses, including change or cancellation charges to include but not limited to airlines, hotels, travel agencies, or other organizations.

The VCU Office of Continuing and Professional Education offers a variety of noncredit online courses and noncredit online certificates in partnership with The Learning Resources Network (LERN).

Some VCU OCPE offerings are ineligible for waiver use due to partnership agreements. The following text will appear on the registration page: “*exempt—this offering is ineligible for waiver use.”