Programmes

Degrees available

European-American University awards degrees at bachelor, master and doctoral levels in the areas of business, education, music, theology, the arts and humanities in general, and a limited number of scientific areas. It does not award degrees in medical or similar disciplines, or degrees in the licensed professions, except for those who are already professionally qualified and licensed. It can also accommodate bespoke, self-designed degree programmes that may include interdisciplinary work or more unusual subjects, provided it can offer the necessary tutorial and examining support.

European-American University’s degrees are mapped to the levels established by UNESCO’s International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) (2011 edition) for easy comparability across different educational systems.

For information about the legal powers under which the University awards degrees (referred to by the term “accreditation” in some countries), please see the Status page below. Degrees are awarded from different jurisdictions depending on factors including the field of the degree and the preference of the student. Legal restrictions may affect the exact title of degrees that are awarded in different jurisdictions.

>>Status

Degree levels available

The University’s Royal Charter of Incorporation commits it firstly to the knowledge, dissemination and extension of business and management, arts and humanities, theology, and alternative mental health services. It is further committed under Articles 2 and 3(i) of its Royal Charter to advance learning and knowledge by teaching and research particularly in the areas of criminology, law, military and security sciences and arts. The latter areas are all offered through mentored study as research-based dissertation or APL/VAE-based programmes, with additional taught mentored programmes offered in the arts.

Religious degrees awarded by European-American University and Theological Seminary, Florida, USA

The University is further established as European-American University and Theological Seminary in the State of Florida, USA, where it offers educational programmes that prepare students for religious vocations as ministers, professionals, or laypersons in the categories of ministry, counseling, theology, education, administration, music, fine arts, media communications, and social work. The degree titles that may be awarded are further restricted by statute. Honorary degrees are also awarded in the above categories. Several other states in the USA also provide further statutory authority for European-American University and Theological Seminary to award degrees in religious disciplines.

In the United States, European-American University and Seminary operates as an integrated auxiliary of the Apostolic Episcopal Church, a continuing Anglican denomination incorporated in the State of Hawaii. However, its programmes are open to all students without requirement of any specific religious beliefs.

Classroom study and distance learning

Students who wish to complete an EAU degree by campus study in a traditional classroom setting can do so at a network of some twenty affiliated partner campus institutions, mostly located in Africa.

Other students will prepare for their programme through one-to-one distance or correspondence study with a mentor. Most of these students use email to communicate with their mentor and the University, although traditional postal mail is also acceptable. The University does not offer online courses. All programmes are capable of a high degree of individual customization, subject to University approval. There are no classes or cohorts of students in the distance learning programme. It is possible to enrol at any time of the year, and a student may complete at their own pace, subject only to an annual continuation fee payable on the anniversary of matriculation.

It is possible for some students to pursue a blended learning programme with elements of both classroom and distance learning.

Graduation occurs when the University confirms to the student that all academic and financial requirements of their programme have been met. The student may opt to attend a convocation ceremony to graduate in person, or, if they are unable to attend the ceremony, their graduation documents will be sent to them by mail.

Top-up programmes

The option of a top-up programme is particularly popular at the bachelor’s degree level. Often a candidate will have completed a previous university-level diploma or other professional credential that fulfils a significant proportion of the requirements for a bachelor’s degree. In this situation, they need only complete a top-up dissertation or professional project in order to progress to the bachelor’s degree. Holders of diplomas in music are often suitable candidates for these programmes.

Programme structure

With the exception of those classroom programmes that feature a cohort of students following a common curriculum, the majority of the programmes offered by the University are individually designed. Although model frameworks are available in some areas for guidance, most of our students relish the opportunity for individual input in their studies and have clear ideas of what they want to achieve and how they intend to get there.

At an initial stage, typically before formal admission, the candidate is asked to set out a framework of intended study that can form the basis of a learning contract. They may do this on the basis of existing interests within a subject, look to skills and strengths that they feel they wish to demonstrate at degree level, or explore hitherto unfamiliar areas where they wish to gain a more in-depth appreciation. They may wish to study with a particular faculty member of the University in order to take advantage of their expertise in a particular field at high level. The learning contract is reviewed by the University at this early stage to ensure that supervision and examination can be provided to support the desired programme adequately, as well as to assess that the proposal will meet the expected academic standard for the degree concerned.

There is no requirement for formal examinations as part of most programmes. Assessment is typically via coursework, with an essay or paper set to test understanding of each topic or part thereof, and feedback offered by a mentor who reports on the student’s achievement to the University. More experienced candidates may wish to complete one or more major pieces of work for degree assessment. At the doctoral level, this will often consist of research with an original component, leading to scholarly output that would be of publishable quality.

Assessment of prior learning and previously published work

European-American University has particular expertise in the accreditation of prior learning (VAE, APL, APEL) gained through learning experiences that may have occurred within or outside the classroom. The VAE (validation des acquis de l’expérience) is an accelerated experiential assessment process based on a landmark French law of 2002 that for the first time brought experiential assessment into the mainstream of college education. It has since been implemented by both public and private institutions both within and beyond France.

Many adults have gained previous non-degree credentials, together with significant learning experiences in the course of their professional history. The University can assess all of these sources of learning and apply them to meet the requirements of a degree programme.

If you have published books or articles in professional journals, you may be eligible to pursue a degree through the assessment of previously published work. This option is usually undertaken at the doctoral level, where it provides a route to the Ph.D. degree. For those who have substantial publications above this level, it is possible to be a candidate for a higher doctorate (Doctor of Letters, Doctor of Science).

Honorary awards

The University makes a number of honorary awards, usually at the doctoral level, each year to persons who have distinguished themselves in any field, to those who have rendered support to the University, and to those who have given distinguished service to the University. Over the years, the University has become known as a leading source for the recognition of leadership and achievement, and for that reason the proportion of honorary degrees awarded is larger than at many other universities.

In addition, the University extends to some faculty members and others associated with the University the privilege of incorporating a degree earned elsewhere so that they may also be awarded the same degree of the University, a process that can also be undertaken through VAE assessment. All such awards are made by invitation only and self-nomination of candidates is not accepted.

The Western Orthodox University

The Western Orthodox University, which was originally founded in 1945, has since 2019 been an associated body of EAU. It is the principal seminary of the Apostolic Episcopal Church and offers programs in theology and Christian ministry intended for ordinands, clergy and lay members of that church, awarded under the statutory authority of the State of Florida, USA. EAU shares resources and faculty, particularly with respect to its own theological programmes, with the Western Orthodox University and provides pathways for its graduates to pursue further studies.