How do I enroll at the Avalon Center?
To enroll in a course, visit our Online Classrooms on the Moodle course management system. After creating an account (registering) and logging in, you will be able to view the course listings for the upcoming quarter. You can enroll at any time during the last two weeks of each quarter for the following quarter, or during the first two weeks of the quarter in which a course is offered. It is best to enroll early and leave time to purchase required books and materials. In addition to enrolling and paying your tuition via PayPal, you will need to send in an Admission Form in order for the Center to create a permanent academic record for you. See our Admissions page for full details. You can be admitted to the college at any time during the year and start during any quarter.
Is there financial aid available?
A limited number of tuition reductions are available for up to 50% of tuition. Members of the faculty and staff of ACDS receive a 100% tuition waiver for any courses taken at Avalon. Family members of faculty and members of the ACDS staff receive 50% reductions. Applications for scholarships are reviewed as they are received by the Admissions Council. Work-study positions will be posted as they are available and compensated with a tuition waiver of 50% during each quarter of employment. Students should check the Job Postings board on the Avalon Forum for work-study opportunities.
How old do I have to be to enroll in courses?
You will need to be of legal adult age under the laws where you live. In general we stipulate that students should be age 18 or older to meet this requirement. Students under this age may be admitted with the consent of their parents or legal guardians and when they can demonstrate a sufficient degree of preparation to succeed in college level course work.
Do I need to enroll in a study program to attend Avalon?
No you don't. Study programs are provided as guidelines and as requirements for the receipt of a diploma. You may enroll in as many or as few courses as you like as a continuting education student without receiving academic credit. However, if you decide later that you wish to complete a study progam and receive a diploma, your completed courses can be applied retroactively to your study program only if you have sent in your admission form and we have a permanent record of your studies on file.
How is a diploma different from a certificate of completion?
You will receive a certificate of completion for every course module you complete with a passing grade. These certificates may be used to demonstrate that you have completed the required units of study in a subject. A certificate of completion for a course will be given when you have completed the final module of that course. A diploma, on the other hand, is a formal document granting you the title of Scholar of Druidic Arts, Magister of Bardic Arts, Magister of Ovate Studies, Ollamh of Druidic Studies or other titles signifying the completion of an entire program of study. The diploma is the mark of your graduation from an established program approved by the faculty and Dean of the Center.
Do I need to have a college degree to enroll at Avalon?
No. Our courses are rigorous and challenging and we expect students to have good writing skills and study skills prior to admission. However, there is no formal requirement that you have any particular degree of formal schooling to take courses at Avalon Center. The Awenydd program is designed to be for everyone. The Magister and Ollamh programs require that students have either completed the Awenydd program or can demonstrate equivalent experience and study in the fields covered.
Do I need to be a druid to attend Avalon Center?
No. Avalon is open to students practicing any religious path or none at all. The Center does not promote or teach "faith" of any kind. Rather, it aims to inculcate a love of knowledge, wisdom, and individual understanding. Faith, Belief, and Reason are all respected and approached crticially in a spirit of open discourse.
Will I have to practice magic and meditation?
That depends on the subject you wish to study and on your definition of the terms "magic" and "meditation." Magical and spiritual ideas and meditative practices run through many courses at Avalon and are a major part of modern druidry. Some modern druids do not embrace an overtly "magical" view of nature, but prefer the paradigms of science and positivism. Some reject the idea of the "supernatural." So, it is quite possible to practice druidry without practicing magic as such. However, the contemplation of your own inner landscape, the contemplation of nature, and the magic of inspiration and creativity are aspects of the Druid Way that are considered by most to be very important. The study of many subjects -- history, philosophy, languages, and herbology for example -- does not typically require magical practice but you may be invited to employ creative visualization to explore concepts and symbols.
How much do courses cost?
For current tuition rates see our Tuition Rates page. It is the intention of the Board of Governors to keep costs as low as possible while still paying for the operations of the college including faculty salaries.
Where is your campus going to be located?
We have not settled on a location, but are considering locating in Minnesota near the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. We are hoping for a rural setting within commuting distance so that students and faculty can pursue employment while working and studying in a setting that includes farming, forestry, and astronomy.
Is Avalon Center an online Hogwarts?
Not exactly Hogwarts. Avalon offers specialized programs not intended to substitute for a general liberal arts education, much less a secondary school. And, of course, we are teaching real magical and mystical techniques and real history, not the fun fictional sort invented by J. K. Rowling. Some of the disciplines may sound similar to Hogwarts because Ms Rowling did base her stories on actual fields of knowledge such as herbology and potions. However, areas such as "magical beasts" will address such creatures as beings of imagination and other planes of reality rather than, for example, offering students the chance to ride a hippogriff in the material world. As for the online bit, Avalon College is not really intended to operate solely online. We are developing that aspect of the Center now because funding a land-campus is a lot harder than funding a cyber-campus. Online distance learning and flexible residental studies will always be part of our operations.
Is Avalon Center an accredited institution?
Not yet. One of the issues that every new institution of higher education must face is the accreditation process. It is our hope that once we are fully operational, Avalon will be able to receive accreditation through the regional organizations that oversee that process. ACDS will offer courses that might be transferable to another degree-granting institution, and accreditation will help that transfer process. However, it is a long process and may take some years of operation before we can be fully accredited. Avalon's Board of Governors is pursuing registration with the State of Minnesota Office of Higher Education as a college. (Please see: Accreditation for more information.)
Will a diploma from Avalon get me a better job?
Maybe yes, maybe no. The purpose of our study programs is mainly personal spiritual growth and enlightenment. They are not intended to substitute for programs in mainstream academic institutions. Such areas of study as magical arts or even the history of magic are not likely to impress most employers. Courses in herbology and healing arts, on the other hand, could be applied to a career in those areas. Skills developed as an artist, a performer, a healer, a diviner, a spiritual counsellor, or even as a farmer could be applied to work in those areas, and it is our hope that as Avalon grows in reputation, our program certifications will become well-respected in Academia and among religious and philosophical seminaries. On the whole, the purpose of education at Avalon Center is not to aid your career but to assist you in becoming a better and wiser person.
Can I transfer credits from another school or from a magical or Druidical order?
We are presently developing policy on transfer credit. Please refer to our Instructional Policies for a more detailed answer.
How is Avalon Center funded?
At present ACDS is funded solely by tuition and fees, private patrons, and by proceeds from the Center's Cafe Press shop and our affiliate agreement with Magus Books, our official college bookstore. The college needs donors if it is to succeed in building its physical campus, pay administrative staff, and offer a stable salary structure to its faculty. Avalon College operates as a non-profit organization, which means that all proceeds in excess of expenses go to improving and developing future programs and facilities. If you have the means and wish to help support the college, please visit our Donations page and become a stake-holder in this institution.
