If you have questions that are not answered here, please either post them in our discussion forum, or if they are not of the public nature, email them to Rachel at houstonfutures@mac.com.

So, I can attend the program either on campus or by internet? What's it like to attend by internet?
All graduate courses are held from 5:30pm to 8:30pm Central US time in room 229 of the Cameron building on the University campus. A polycom similar to one you would use for a conference call at a meeting is set up in the room and broadcasts the voices of the instructor and students over the internet simultaneously with the any visual presentations or PowerPoints that the instructor is showing. Students attending from home usually connect through their computer headset so they can hear the class and see the presentations as well as respond via voice and chat. All classes are archived so if you miss one you can go back and listen and hear what went on in the class. While video is used at times by certain instructors, it is not common. We have been experimenting with holding classes in Second Life, but this is not standard yet either.

What is PostBach?
PostBach stands for Post Baccalaureate, hard to spell but easier to do in this way...if you already hold a four year (or equalvienet) you are likely a PostBach, meaning that you do not need to go through the whole admissions and acceptance process to take a couple of either graduate or undergraduate courses. If your are taking Graduate courses they can count towards your degree if you apply to the program.

What kind of computer set up do I need.
James, our technology person gives a run down of the actual systems specs below but in general some kind hard-wired, broadband connection is best. Dial-up is out (too little bandwidth) and wireless is iffy.

How much does it cost to attend the program?
For Texas Residents the costs range from about $1,700 for one class to about $5,200 for four classes.
For non-Residents costs range from about $2,600 to about $9,000 for four classes.
These amounts are for tuition and fees only, they do not include lodging.

Please keep in mind that these are not official numbers but estimates that might vary (either higher or lower) depending on if the student is attending on campus or distanced and various things having to do with insurance (don't ask us what, it hurts our heads to think about it). Contact Tiffany Roosa, the graduate adviser for the College of Technology for more exact information.

Are there scholarships available?
There are a couple different tuition assistance programs available. Every semester one graduate assistantship is available which covers the cost of tuition. The Kay Hamilton Memorial Scholarship is also available for one student per year which provides $1,000 towards tuition plus in-state tuition for out-of-state students.

Can I get financial aid?
If you take two classes or more, you should be eligible for financial aid. Check with Tiffany Roosa at the University of Houston for more details.

How long does it take to complete the program?
Three semesters is about as fast as anyone has completed the coursework (and didn't enter the hospital at the end!), plus the time to complete an internship or another masters project. However the quick route is only recommended to those who appreciate being knocked over the head with the club of knowledge every day for year. Since many people attend the program while working full-time, it's more usual to complete the program over three to five years.

What do people do when they are done with the program?
Yowsa, that's a hard question because people do all sorts of things from going into futures consulting to remaining in their current profession and bringing their new futures knowledge into play. The best thing to do is check out the Alumni page.

Is there Student housing at the University of Houston?
Um, yeah, but students who have recently lived on campus were less than impressed with the digs. Houston though is a relatively inexpensive city to live in and finding housing is usually not that difficult. Check out Craig's List for a sample of apartments. Recent students recommend living in the Montrose neighborhood which along with being one of Houston's few walking neighborhoods is chock full of restaurants, shopping and bars as well as being about ten to fifteen minutes from campus. The Heights has also seen its share of Futures students.

Can you explain again why it's called Futures Studies in Commerce and do I have to study commerce?
It's a little hard to explain because it's got to do with accreditation and other such things. Be assured though that the wide range of subjects including futures as it pertains to community development, not-for-profits, governments and research is open to all who enter the program. Various folks are working to get the name changed back to Futures Studies. If you still have questions about this, please email Dr. Bishop, and he can explain where we currently are in this process.

I'm trying to edit on of the pages and even though I have "write" privileges I can't make edits. Why not?
Write privileges allow the person with the privileges to write over, change or add to the site. Because we want to make sure that the information on certain pages reflect the most current information, we've locked the pages. If you are a student or alumni with write privileges or are a student or alumni who would like privileges and you want to add to this page, please email houstonfutures@mac.com. Anyone however can start or respond to threads/messageboards, the link for which can be found below.


Site Note: I have write privileges but I can't edit this page, why not? Because we want to make sure that the information on certain pages reflect the most current information, we've locked the pages. If you are a student or alumni with write privileges or are a student or alumni who would like privileges and you want to add to this page, please email houstonfutures@mac.com. More info on this can be found here. Anyone however can start or respond to threads/messageboards, the link for which can be found below.