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Beekeeping course offered by UD Online 4:08 p.m., Feb. 20, 2007--Many beekeeping enthusiasts have never had the opportunity to take a college-level course in beekeeping. Now, the University of Delaware's popular course, Apiology and Apiculture (ENWC 214), is offered online, so it can be taken by anyone, anywhere with access to a computer and the Internet. The course is taught by Dewey M. Caron, professor of entomology and wildlife ecology, a leading authority in the field of apiology who has been frequently recognized for excellence in teaching. The course includes hands-on, practical activities and is offered through UD Online, the University distance learning program. This course will benefit those who engage in beekeeping as a hobby, for profit, or for those interested in starting out. The introductory college level course covers basic bee biology with an emphasis on bee colony management. This scientific approach to studying the life of honeybees includes bee biology, anatomy, physiology, behavior, bee botany and communication. In addition, it offers an introduction to beekeeping, including techniques for practical bee care, bee culturing, and managing honeybees for honey production and crop pollination services. Beginners will learn the basics of bee biology and how to start and manage their own bee colony. Practicing beekeepers will be able to add an interesting dimension to their beekeeping experiences by expanding their academic knowledge of apiology and apiculture at the college level of study, as well as their information on bee colony management. Students view videostreamed course lectures and follow activities and assignments via the Internet. Access to a bee colony is recommended, but not required. Throughout the course, students will be communicating with fellow students and with Caron and will receive personalized support and feedback from the professor as the course progresses. Students who want to earn University of Delaware academic credit, can enroll in the course as a Continuing Education student. The course also is available in a noncredit version, titled Beekeeping Online. The noncredit option is more appealing if you are interested in the course for personal or professional development and do not plan to apply it toward a degree. This option offers additional time and more flexibility in choosing course activities and assignments, and the tuition is less. Upon successful completion of Beekeeping Online, students receive an official University of Delaware Certificate of Completion. For more information about the credit version of ENWC 214 Apiology and Apiculture, a course demonstration and the sample course syllabus are available by searching for ENWC214 at [www.continuingstudies.udel.edu/udonline/search]. Tuition for the 2-credit course option is charged at the regular University of Delaware rate for Delaware residents, or the “site participant” rate for nonresidents. For current tuition rates, visit [www.continuingstudies.udel.edu/udonline/registration]. Tuition for the noncredit option is $295 per person, and students can enroll at any time and have six months to complete the course. For more information or for instructions on how to enroll, contact Melanie Rehberg, UD Online program manager, at (302) 831-1079, 1-800-597-1444 (press 5 and ask for Melanie), or [UD-Online@udel.edu]. |