Enrollment FAQ
Q. When can I enroll?
A. You have two options:
1) You can enroll in each course individually and begin anytime. You may work through the courses in order, or select only those you’re interested in.
Advantage: total flexibility to start courses when you’re ready and work at your own pace.(Please note that if you choose this option we cannot apply our special bundle pricing and registration retroactively.)
2) You can join open registration during the summer and take the courses in order with a new cohort of students that begins in mid August each year.
Advantage: create community and make friends; receive inspiration and support from students working through the material at the same time as you; receive a discount if you take the bundle course option (only available from mid July to the end of August each year).
Q. Do I have to take every course in the four year program?
A. No, you only have to take every course if you plan to go for the diploma and/or certification through AU. It is possible to receive credit for courses 1 and 2 by testing out of them if you have been studying for some time and have proficiency in the material. See “Testing Out” below.
Q. What is the difference between the audit option and the “with feedback” option for courses?
A. Diploma-track students need to register for courses “with feedback”. When you register “with feedback” you receive feedback on your submitted homework and exams.
Audit students do not submit homework or receive feedback. Audit students receive the same study materials and videos and can participate in the live Q&A sessions.
You might choose the “with feedback” option even if you do not intend to work toward the diploma because you can still benefit from the feedback. If you are confident and know you don’t need the feedback and are not going for the diploma, choose the audit track to save a little money.
Q. I’ve been studying astrology for a long time and I’m only interested in a few of your courses. Is it acceptable to take only the courses I’m interested in?
A. Yes. All of the courses can be taken “a la carte”. You can choose audit or with-feedback depending on whether or not you want feedback. We do not issue certificates for individual courses, but rather, for completing an entire year of coursework.
Testing Out
Q. Can I test out of any of your courses in the four year program?
A. You can test out of the first two courses and still receive credit towards our diploma.
Q. How do I test out of the first two courses?
A. Test out for course 1: If you’ve been studying astrology for over a year, you may attempt to test out of this course. Order the test here. Test our for course 2: TEST OUT OPTION: If you’ve been studying astrology for over a year, you may attempt to test out of this course. Order the test here. Keep in mind that we recommend most students of all levels complete courses one and two as they are great foundational pieces to the overall scope of the program.
Q. How much does it cost to test out of the first two courses
A. The tests cost $25 each. If you do not pass the test, you can apply the cost of the test toward the course registration.
Tuition
Q. How much is it for the annual tuition for the four year program?
A. Bundle Pricing (all 9 courses in a year): $2797 (diploma-track option – pay in full or 10 payments of $285). Bundle pricing is only available once a year during open registration from mid July to the end of August.
Individual Course Pricing: $295 (audit) / $350 (“with feedback” diploma track). We recommend this option if you need flexibility or don’t need all of the courses in the program.
Please note that we cannot apply bundle pricing retroactively so if you decide to begin courses outside of the bundle registration period you will pay individually for the courses for that year.
Additional Costs
Q. In addition to the tuition, are there other costs associated with the program?
A. You will pay for your books separately and the costs for those vary depending on if you buy new or used and where you purchase them from.
Retreat Attendance
Q. Do I have to attend the in-person retreats to obtain a diploma?
A. No, the annual in-person retreats are optional.
Scholarships
Q. Do you offer scholarships?
A. Yes, we offer scholarships only during our open enrollment period each summer. Please see our scholarship page for more information. https://www.astrologyuniversity.com/scholarships/
Grading
Q. How do you grade homework and exams?
A. Your homework will be reviewed by a combination of instructors and teaching assistants. We have a “pass / try again” system for exams, and a “completed” system for homework. Your homework is marked as completed if you turn it in. Your exams are marked as passing if you satisfactorily complete the exam according to the instructor’s guidelines. In the event that you don’t quite achieve the standard we’re looking for on an exam, we’ll provide feedback and give you the opportunity to try again. Most students are able to improve their exams to achieve a passing grade.
Diploma and Certification
Q. Do you offer certification?
A. Yes. Certification requires successful completion of the entire Diploma Program in addition to successfully passing our certification exam.
Q. What is the difference between the diploma and the certification?
A. You receive a diploma for completing all of the requirements for our four-year program with passing grades on all of your individual course exams. You can apply to take our certification exam after you complete your diploma.
Q. Can I sit for your certification exam if I’ve studied with other schools and become certified by Astrology University?
A. We do not currently allow students to apply work from other schools towards our certification exam requirements. However, we may change our policy on this in the future.
Q. Am I guaranteed a diploma if I register for the program?
A. No. You are not guaranteed to receive a diploma by registering for the program or simply by turning in your work. Students receive a diploma by satisfactorily completing all of the required courses in the diploma program and by passing every course exam (there are 36 courses and 36 exams).
Q. Do I need to be certified to be a successful astrologer?
A. No, you can be a successful professional astrologer without any kind of formal certification.
The real answer to this question depends on your intention. The certification itself will not improve your chances of attracting clients. The profession of astrology isn’t governed by one national board, and there are no nationally-recognized standards of certification that the general public also knows about. An astrology certification won’t really help you get clients at this point in terms of the public understanding any given certification. But will a certification make you a better astrologer? That’s highly likely.
Which brings us to a reason you might actually want to pursue certification: for educational reasons. Many certifications include a well-rounded course of study. You’ll likely be asked to read a lot, work up many charts, and complete different forms of testing to attain certification. You could do this on your own. But if you find it hard to self-motivate, or to stay focused in your studies, working towards a certification can give you that extra boost to complete your studies and really apply yourself.
You might also enjoy the feeling of having a certification from a particular organization that is recognized by your professional peers.
So do you need a certification to be a successful astrologer? No you don’t. But you might want to get one to help motivate you to apply yourself to your studies.
Q. How does your certification compare to others, like certification through astrology organizations?
A. By their nature, certification through astrology organizations test applicants on a broad knowledge base, especially those that don’t include their own training programs. For this reason, the testing is often criticized for including material that a given applicant hasn’t studied, or isn’t proficient in, while not including testing of their specific proficiencies. Currently there’s not a unified approach in this field among astrology schools and organizations, and likely there won’t be, since there are many unique approaches and techniques.
Astrology University certification tests students on a specific set of criteria taught throughout the Diploma Program: the ability to provide healing and helpful modern astrological consultation that is ultimately inspiring and empowering. Over time, it’s our hope that clients will recognize our certification as a mark of a certain degree of quality and excellence in a specific approach to astrology.
Q. Can I sit for any of the organization certification exams after graduating from Astrology University?
A. Yes! Currently you are welcome to sit for the NCGR certification exam after graduation.
Accreditation
Q. Is your school accredited?
A. No. We are not. There is currently not an accredited school of professional astrology in the United States.
Q. Can I apply for financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid program?
A. No. Only accredited universities are eligible for government financial aid programs.
Curriculum
Q. What will be covered in the program? Do you have a list of courses?
A. Yes, please see our full curriculum here: https://www.astrologyuniversity.com/program-curriculum/
Reading List
Q. Do you have a list of the books we will be reading for each course?
A. Yes. We have a reading lists for each year of the program. You can find them on the curriculum pages for each year of the program. Start here (the reading list link is in the top third of each page: https://www.astrologyuniversity.com/program-curriculum/ – please be advised that materials can be subject to change.
Support Throughout the Program
Q. What kind of support is offered to students who are not going through the program with the live cohorts?
A. Students who are going at their own pace in the program outside of the live cohorts have the same level of support. Instructors will be active in the discussion forums and available to answer questions. If you are choosing the diploma track your homework and exams will be graded with feedback and support. You will also have access to your peers with the optional WhatsApp chat group.
Q. If I find I need additional support outside of the classroom time, discussion forum, and Q&A sessions – is there tutoring available?
A. Yes you can schedule tutoring with our teaching assistants and advanced students for additional support and guidance. Contact our student coordinator for details.
Pace of Study
Q. Can I complete this program sooner than four years?
A. At this time you could theoretically work through the material slightly faster than four years, but we encourage you to work at a pace that allows you to retain what you’re learning in addition to some time for integration and reflection. If your intention is to catch up to a live cohort, that is possible with dedication and time.
Q. Do I have to follow along with the live cohorts or could I go slower at my own pace?
A. You don’t have to move at the same pace as the live cohorts. There is no time limit to how long you can take for your courses. Many students prefer to work at a slower pace so that they can have time to digest the material and to work through the optional supplemental reading without feeling rushed.
Please note that while you do have lifetime access to the courses you’re registered for, we periodically update the course material. Course material is sometimes updated to reflect the current course goals and student needs, and to enrich the learning experience for you and other students. In some cases we remove outdated material and replace it with new material. When we do so, you will only have access to the updated material. Once we edit and remove outdated material, you will no longer have access to it (unless you have downloaded it beforehand). We are unable to provide access to any course materials that are removed, but you will always have access to the most current official version of the course you are registered for.
Q. If I sign up for the current cohort and I can’t attend the live Q&A sessions, can I still participate?
A. Yes, the Q&A sessions are recorded and you can post your questions in the discussion forum or email us and we can make sure the instructor addresses them. The Q&A sessions are not required to complete each course. However, they do often contain supplemental teaching that you could benefit from viewing even if you don’t attend.
Q. I just signed up for a course and would like to go at my own pace but I see that the Q&A sessions are live and not recorded. Why is this?
A. Please note that if you are going at your own pace throughout the program that there may be occasional classes where the recorded Q&A sessions have been removed due to privacy. This usually occurs right before the next live cohort begins that course in July. Once Q&A sessions from the previous year are removed, you will instead see links for the upcoming live Q&A sessions. You are welcome to attend the live Q&A sessions even if you are not a part of the live cohort. We are not able to provide you with the previous recorded Q&A sessions past the date we take them off the site. So please be in the habit of downloading them regularly if you’d like to keep them. Thank you for your understanding.
Bundle Pricing and Timing
Q. What if I sign up for the bundle and I find I can’t keep up with the pacing. Can I still keep the pricing while I complete the courses?
A. If you sign up for either the bundle you have as long as you need to complete them. Once you have paid for a course, you have lifetime access to it. Terminating bundle payments is not allowed. If you terminate your bundle payment without written permission, you will loose access to all courses. If you are unsure you can make all 10 payments, please register for courses individually.
Q. If I am still taking year one courses and the bundle pricing opens for year two can I sign up for the bundle for year two even while I am completing year one?
A. You can do this – keep in mind that if you are still paying for year one payments and then sign up for year two, that means you will have two payments until your year-one payments are complete.
Q. What if I decide to quit after I have signed up for the bundle?
A. There are no refunds for bundle payments, whether pay in full or payment plan. We do not allow cancellations for payment plans. Please see the terms and conditions for bundle pricing. You will agree to the terms and conditions when you purchase the bundle. If you have any uncertainty, we recommend you sign up for courses a la carte instead, which gives you complete flexibility.
Q. I purchased several courses outside of the bundle period and now I want to do the bundle. Can I get credit or a refund for the courses I have taken?
A. Sorry. We can’t apply the bundle discount retroactively. The bundle payment is for all 9 courses for that year. If you have already purchased courses from that year of study it’s best to continue to purchase the courses individually.
Q. If I purchase the bundle payment plan option will I have access to all of the courses for the year?
A. No. With the bundle payment plan option you have access to each course one week before the course begins. Each course that you pay for you will have lifetime access to.
Testing Out and Pricing
Q. If I test out of the first two courses can I still get the bundle pricing?
A. If you test out of the first two courses, it’s actually cheaper to pay for each course individually for the rest of the first year. So if you test out of the first two courses, do not choose bundle registration.
Q. If I missed the bundle registration period and I sign up for classes individually, can I get the bundle pricing applied retroactively once it opens up again?
A. Sorry – we can’t apply special pricing retroactively. It would be best to wait until the next open enrollment for the bundle pricing if you are seeking that pricing structure.
Q. What if I have already purchased webinars included in the “bonus material” for a course?
A. Some courses contain “bonus” material in the form of a webinar or audio recording from our archives. We include this material to supplement the material taught in the course and offer it at no additional charge. If you have purchased any of the bonus material previously we aren’t able to offer a refund due to the royalty agreements with the speakers.
Q. I read that if you get the bundle that you get 10% off purchases during the year of your bundle payment for non four year program courses and webinars. If I purchase courses individually and plan to do all 9 courses can I still get that coupon?
A. Sorry, this coupon is only for students who purchase the bundle. We are not able to offer any additional discounts. We do have an annual sale in November that is open to all customers.
Connecting with Other Students
Q. Are there ways to connect with students whether I’m in the live cohort or not?
A. Yes. Our students connect with each other in the discussion forums. Students can also connect through our Social Community, and private groups are provided for students based on their planned graduation date. Some students form outside study groups that meet on Zoom.
How Much Time Do the Courses Take?
Q. How much time should I plan to dedicate to this program?
A. Most students can work through the material in 6 to 10 hours per lesson (there are 4 lessons in each course). This includes the lectures, Q&A sessions, required reading, and homework. If you choose to do the optional supplemental reading, you can expect up to 15 hours per week.
House Systems
Q. What house system does Astrology University use in the four-year program?
A. As a school, we are officially “house system agnostic.” Among our amazing and successful consulting astrologers on staff, at least 5 house systems are represented. You’ll be exposed to these different systems and get to see astrologers at work with them. Students can choose whatever house system they’d like to use for their homework and exams.
In course 8, you’ll learn about how some of the main house systems are calculated, in order to help you make an educated choice.
If you’re unsure, you can ask for advice about which house system to start with. From there we encourage new students to practice and experiment over the course of their studies. You’ll receive feedback on your work to help you feel confident that you’re on the right track. And hopefully, by the end of your studies, you’ll also have some confidence in your house system choice.
Astrology Software
Q. What software will I need for this program?
A. We have a few recommendations here: https://www.astrologyuniversity.com/astrology-software
If you don’t already have software, wait to purchase until you’ve watched lesson four in the first course, where we demo several software programs. You’ll also find a few discount coupons for enrolled students inside course one.
