Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility, enrollment, and registration
- Q. What are the differences among the programs?
- Q. In which language will the programs be held?
- Q. Who should attend the program?
- Q. Is this program right for a university student interested in Microfinance?
- Q. Can I take 2 different programs at a time?
- Q. How do I register for the program?
Tuition and payments
- Q. How much does the program cost?
- Q. When is payment due?
- Q. Is it possible to pay the tuition in multiple instalments?
- Q. Are discounts and financial assistance available for the program?
- Q. How can I pay?
- Q. Is there a refund/cancellation policy?
Technical requirements
- Q. Is there any Internet or technical requirements to attend this online program?
- Q. What do I do if I need technical assistance?
Academics
- Q. How to obtain the Boulder Certificate?
- Q. Can a miss any session or assignments?
- Q. How do I get access to the class materials?
- Q. Is there an outline (syllabus) for the different modules?.
- Q. What methods will be used to teach the online courses?
- Q. What do I do if I have questions about an assignment?
- Q. How much time will be involved in self-paced work?
- Q. Are there assessments or exams in the courses?
- Q. How do I get homework assignments, tests, etc.?
- Q. How long will I have access to the online course materials?
- Q. Will live sessions be offered at a specific pre-determined time?
- Q. May I begin my online class early?
- Q. What if I can’t participate in a Module on the date it’s scheduled?
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Q. Who can I contact to learn more about the program?
A. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at info@bouldermicrofinance.org
Eligibility, enrollment, and registration
Q. What are the differences among the programs?
A. Our Boulder MFT program features a series of courses and activities aimed towards client segmentation and financial products design, portfolio managements, human resources management, and creating a healthy ecosystem to reinforce financial inclusion.
The Boulder DIGITAL Transformation of MFIs Program is designed to teach the strategies and decision-making process that any MFI should go through in order to define their steps towards digitalization in terms of organizational structure and the design of new digital products meant to reach current and new clients.
Our B2B Program is directed at C-Suite executives and is a forum for discussing strategic responses to the COVID-19 crisis and moving back to growth.
Both MFT and DT-MFIs are full programs consisting of 65 engagement hours whereas B2B is a short program consisting of 16 engagement hours.
Q. In which language will the programs be held?
A. Presently, our Online Programs are offered in English. In the near future, we will offer our programs in French and Spanish.
Q. Who should attend the program?
A. The Boulder Institute programs are diverse in terms of regional representation, types of organizations, and experience level of our participants. We have over 7,000 alumni who have attended our programs, from 155 different countries. The program is aimed at professionals from microfinance institutions, commercial banks, central banks, government institutions, development organizations, and donor agencies.
Q. Is this program right for a university student interested in Microfinance?
A. Most participants in the program come with at least some field experience and many of our participants have held mid to high level positions in their organizations. If you are a student with no field experience, this is probably not the right program for you.
If you are not sure we recommend you speak to our staff to better assess your individual needs and fit for the program. Write us at info@bouldermicrofinance.org
Q. Can I take 2 different programs at a time?
A. If your schedule allows, you can take two programs simultaneously. Each program requires a time commitment of between 5 – 7 hours per week. Although it is technically possible, we would advise against attending both programs at the same time so that you can be 100% focused on a specific program.
Q. How do I register for the program?
A. In order to register for a program you are interested in, complete the on-line registration form you will find on each of the program’s pages or descriptions.
Tuition and payments
Q. How much does the program cost?
A. The price for our Boulder ONLINE Programs is listed on each of the full program description pages.
A. Payment is due one day before your program starts.
Q. Is it possible to pay the tuition in multiple instalments?
A. We are offering an Installment Plan with three payments for the 10-week formats but require payment in full before joining any of the shorter program formats. Please indicate that you prefer this option when you register for the program.
Q. Are discounts and financial assistance available for the program?
A. Boulder Institute does not directly offer scholarships or discounts to attend the program. Most of the Boulder MFT participants, however, attend the program paid either by their own organization or through a partial or full sponsorship they secure themselves. We recommend that you talk to your employer, donor agencies working in your region, microfinance networks, and government institutions.
A. We have different payment options, Paypal, direct wire transfer, or credit card.
Q. Is there a refund/cancellation policy?
A. Refund is possible before the program starts. Once the program starts, refunds may be made under exceptional circumstance related to health emergencies or other such situations.
Technical requirements
Q. Is there any Internet or technical requirements to attend this online program?
A. We are fully aware that some of our participants live in areas where internet connectivity can be an issue. For the self-paced content, readings and videos, we will be using the Boulder Online Campus. This allows you to access course content offline, using the Desktop or a Mobile Moodle App. For the live session, you will need to have an internet connection that allows a Zoom meeting to happen.
If your internet connection prevents you from joining the meeting, the link to download a recorded session will be sent to those unable to attend. However, it is vital to attend live sessions to connect with faculty and peers, so to derive a major benefit from the program.
Q. What do I do if I need technical assistance?
A. At the beginning of the program, every participant will receive technical guidance. During the program, an online help desk will be set up and will be easily reachable if a technical issue arises where you may require assistance.
Academics
Q. How to obtain the Boulder Certificate?
A. Each time you complete a reading, exercise, participate in group work, and join the Live Sessions, you accumulate points toward a Certificate. To earn the Certificate the participant will need to have accumulated a pre-determined number of points which. This will allow for some flexibility in completing program tasks if major complications arise along the way.
Q. Can a miss any session or assignments?
A. It is not necessary to complete 100% of the activities in order to obtain the Certificate. We recognize that on very limited occasions other demands may interfere. Nevertheless, we expect that participants will set aside 3-5 hours between each live session and have made arrangements with their employer to have the time available to complete all activities.
Q. How do I get access to the class materials?
A. All the class materials will be available on our Boulder e-learning platform. This Moodle platform will be available to all participants, and all links to materials will be there.
Q. Is there an outline (syllabus) for the different modules?
A. A full program description, including a short module description and faculty bio is available for each program. You can find these by looking under the “Programs” tab on the Home Page.
Q. What methods will be used to teach the online courses?
A. All programs follow a similar format that is organized in Weekly Modules. Each Module kicks off at the start of a week with a short introduction. That Introduction is followed by 3-5 hours of ‘Self-guided’ work consisting of readings, videos, and exercises to be completed by the participant on his or her own time, but before the Live Session. Exercises will relate the concepts from the readings and videos to the participant’s own institution.
Each Module ends with a Live Session that reviews the results of the Self-guided work, engages participants in interactive sessions, and presents external speakers upon occasion.
All “self-paced” content will be accessible through our Boulder Online Campus for completion between each live session. The Live Sessions will happen on Zoom, the Zoom links will be shared with participants 2 days prior to each session. Group work will also be happening on Zoom. We will also use other tools during the Live Sessions whose instructions will be included as each progresses.
Q. What do I do if I have questions about an assignment?
A. If you have any questions about an assignment, you can contact our program tutors who will guide you.
Q. How much time will be involved in self-paced work?
A. Given the online nature of the course, a significant portion of it will need to be done at your own pace, but between Live Sessions. We expect you will devote between 3 to 5 hours per module in self-paced activities, divided among videos, readings, quizzes and individual exercises.
Q. Are there assessments or exams in the courses?
A. The readings provided will all come with small quizzes that will be used to validate the fact that you read and understood the document. Other than that, group and individual exercises will also be provided. No exams are planned for those.
Q. How do I get homework assignments, tests, etc.?
A. All assignments will be given on our Boulder Online Campus and clearly stated for each module.
Q. How long will I have access to the online course materials?
A. The courses materials will be available from the first day of each module and will remain available until two weeks after the end of the program.
Q. Will live sessions be offered at a specific pre-determined time?
A. Live sessions will generally occur from 12PM to 2PM GMT. Depending on the program you chose, the day of the week will be different.
Q. May I begin my online class early?
A. No. The online program will start on its first day.
Q. What if I can’t participate in a Module on the date it’s scheduled?
A. Although the program will start on a given date, all materials will remain accessible during the whole duration of the program.
Live sessions will be made available for replay shortly after they occurred if you have had an unavoidable scheduling conflict. However, watching replays instead of doing live sessions will award you less credit.