NCU SKS (Strategic Knowledge Studies) Courses

As I am about the finish SKS5001 and SKS5002 within the next week I thought I would write a bit about my experience. I will probably start SKS5003 in December.

These courses are meant as bridging courses for those without prior academic background in basic business topics such as accounting, management, finance, economics, etc.

The 4-week schedule requires a significant effort especially to do reasonably well on the subject-specific post-tests and written assignments. If you complete at least 75% of the assignments and obtain the approval of the mentor it is possible to get a short extension.

The written assignments that are essay-format require use of APA citations. This is particularly daunting given the compressed schedule. My advice is buy the APA guides because you will be using APA throughout your NCU studies. Too bad NCU does not offer an actual course on the APA citation notation; even a 1 credit course like the SKS courses would be beneficial.

I am looking forward to tackling the "real" coursework towards a doctorate degree in the new year. Now I will admit, business courses are not my forte so surviving those five (5) courses will test my resolve, early on, to earn a doctorate degree.

 

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing! NCU didn't have SKS courses when I went there -- it seems like an excellent idea!

You can buy inexpensive software that will automatically format your papers for you, per APA guidelines. PERRLA is a simpler software that I love, but you can also use Endnote (if my memory serves me correctly).

Here's PERRLA, which saved me hours of work:
http://www.perrla.com/Pages/1/2.aspx

PERRLA is good for garden variety papers, but if you're going to do a dissertation, then Endnote might be better. If you're not at the dissertation, then I'd recommend starting with PERRLA.

You'll enjoy the coursework immensely (I did) and you'll learn a ton O' information; however, the REAL work starts when you hit the RSH courses. It's a proverbial bump in the road -- and for some people, it's a freaking pothole the size of a Volkswagen bug!

 

I think they added the SKS courses as part of the higher learning accreditation preparation or perhaps simply to meet the requirements of the business accreditation group.

You are right. I will be using the appropriate add-on for LaTex once I get past the SKS courses. For the SKS courses I think it might be beneficial to do it the old-fashion way by hand.

I am looking forward to starting the "real" coursework. As for the research and dissertation stages I have quite a ways to go before jumping those hurdles on the road of earning a doctorate degree.

 

I've been using eazy paper for a couple of years now to format my papers.

http://www.eazypaper.com/index.cfm

It is a great program and has saved me numerous hours of formatting. At the time I purchased it I was doing my undergrad work and bought all three styles, APA, MLA, and Turabian because all of my professors wanted different styles.