Viska University

Viska University

Viska University will be the embodiment of the higher education that people have always wanted but could not have. For starters, Viska University degrees will cost a flat fee ranging from $12,500 to $15,000 depending on if the student is seeking a Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate or higher degree.

To apply, there will be no requirement for transcripts or standardized test scores of any kind. Prospective students will meet directly with a Counselor, either in person at Viska's campus or via Skype, who will help the student to determine if pursuing a degree is right for them, and if so, will very carefully help them to map out how they will accomplish their specific goals. At no time will there be required classes that have nothing to do with the work the student is interested in doing. The amount of time required to obtain the degree will be entirely up to the student and not dependent on any scheduling of classes, semesters, etc. There will be no classifications of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors.

The purpose of the Viska degrees will be to become skilled in what is necessary to actually succeed in the profession that is of interest. This is as opposed to current degree programs that require the student to fulfill an arbitrary list of courses that were established by bureaucrats. Viska’s program also eliminates the “social engineering” and “indoctrination” that permeates most aspects of current college curriculums. There are no grades. Safety concerns are eliminated and opportunities will exist for students to leave Viska not only with a degree but also with a positive bank balance rather than with an overwhelming student loan debt destined to economically enslave them for decades.

Students will design their own degree program in exactly what interests them. Their degree program might include:

  • courses (MOOC's) that are available to them on-line through free universities,
  • courses that they can test out of using CLEP and DSST tests,
  • on-site courses, workshops, seminars or other learning experiences that the student believes will enhance his or her understanding of the subject matter and the ability to apply that knowledge to real life situations,
  • tutoring, mentoring, apprentice, intern and other hands-on opportunities in their particular field of interest,
  • self-directed study using free materials available on-line, including free playback of on-line lectures at major universities,  or materials found at local public or university libraries, or
  • any combination of some or all of the above.

The bottom line objective of any higher education pursuit should be to prepare individuals to do whatever it is that they are interested in doing and to help them to pursue their career path.

Traditionally institutions of higher learning have done little, for the most part, to prepare students to assume their desired role in the workplace. The lecture, test, lecture, test system only allows a student to retain information and concepts long enough to regurgitate them on tests. It is only when graduates enter the workplace that they typically receive the training necessary to fulfill their desired function. At that time they often learn that the bulk of what they learned while in college, was not applicable or, is already outdated, depending on the industry selected.

At Viska University students will be permitted to design their own study program or they can have counselors at Viska help them to determine what they will really NEED to know to competently do the job they want. The counselor will also help the student to determine what course material or self directed learning projects will need to be completed to build the required knowledge base and skill set. Students will be encouraged to contact those in charge of hiring at the kinds of companies that they want to work for, to get an understanding of what they will be most wanting to see from an applicant, so that they can design their study program accordingly.

Once the study program has been designed and approved, students can proceed at their own pace to complete their program. Previous work experience or other learning experiences in the desired field of study will clearly contribute toward the end goal. The program will also be flexible to where new opportunities, (i.e. new courses, new seminars, internships, etc. unknown to the student when the program was designed), can be substituted in for other parts of the program if the student and counselor agree that it makes sense to make such adjustments.

When the student can demonstrate, in a manner that is most comfortable to them, that they have attained all of the skills and knowledge necessary, then they will graduate. As would be expected, higher levels of ability and understanding will be required for higher degree levels such as Master’s, Doctorate or higher degrees.

The degrees issued by Viska University will come to represent a blending of a deep comprehension of the subject matter coupled with practical real life competency in the career path selected so that applicants with degrees from Viska University will stand out from the rest.

Viska University plans to open its doors in the fall of 2020. It was designed with Terra Scholars in mind but it will welcome all that want to obtain a meaningful degree in an economical and sensible way.

Note: The word "Viska" is an Icelandic word that means "wisdom".