Help Desk

Have a question? Please view the Frequently Asked Questions below for answers to common questions. If you still cannot find the answer, please contact the Institute using the Help Desk form. As an alternative, contact us via telephone, facsimile, or post.

Peace Operations Training Institute
1309 Jamestown Road Suite 202
Williamsburg VA 23185-3380
USA

Telephone: +1 757 253 6933

Facsimile: +1 757 253 6954

Frequently Asked Questions

To become a student, first create an account. After you create an account, answer the 6-10 registration questions, complete your student profile, and verify your email address. Now you will be able to access all our training courses.
Once you have created an account, you will be able to enrol in a course, make a payment (if applicable), download the course material, view and submit an End-of-Course Examination, and upon successful completion of the examination (with a 75% or better), view and print a Certificate of Completion. Inside your classroom, you will have access to all of the Institute’s resources, such as course author videos, webinars, write to the course author, and more. For more information about studying with POTI, review our information for prospective students.
Refer to our pricing page for the latest training costs.

We also offer discounted and tuition-free programmes. If you qualify for one of these programmes, you will see your special pricing in your account.
POTI offers course enrolments, printed textbooks of our courses, and online and hard copy transcripts for purchase. The Institute also offers programmes for National Peacekeeping Training Centres through our NTCELP programme. If you are a representative of a national training centre and are interested in partnering with POTI, please contact our Help Desk.
Online purchases require an account with POTI. All payment options and instructions are available in your account. The following payment options are available:

CREDIT CARD:
The Institute accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover payments through our secure website (within your account). To process payment via credit card, the Institute requires your credit card number, the card’s security code, its expiration date, your complete name as it appears on the credit card, and your billing address. Please note that credit cards sometimes are rejected if they are associated with a country that is not supported by PayPal.

CHEQUE or INTERNATIONAL MONEY ORDER:
Payments made by cheque or international money order must be in US dollars payable through a bank with offices in the United States. Payments using these options should be mailed to the following address:

Peace Operations Training Institute
1309 Jamestown Road, Suite 202
Williamsburg, VA 23185-3380
USA

WESTERN UNION:
Western Union Money Transfer is a safe method of payment because it requires payment to an individual, not a company/institution, and the recipient must show identification in order to retrieve the funds. To wire money through Western Union, please use the following payment information:

(Payee) Name: Georgia Richardson
City: Richmond
State: Virginia
Country: USA

Take note of the MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBER that the carrier provides you, as POTI will need it to collect your fee. Once you send the funds, please provide the Registrar with the Control Number, the amount of funds sent, your complete name, and the city and country from which you wired the funds. This information can be sent securely and safely within your account under the “Payment Options” feature.

ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER:
Should you wish to make an electronic funds transfer, please request the necessary routing numbers and instructions through the Help Desk.

PAYPAL:
Please follow instructions provided by PayPal if you select this method of payment during the checkout process. You must have an account with PayPal to use this method without a credit card.
To cancel any item you have in your basket inside your classroom, please log into your classroom, click on “basket”, enter “0” for the item you would like to remove and click on “update quantities”. This will remove the item from your basket.
Once you submit your enrolment or E-Voucher request and payment (if applicable), you will be able to begin to study your course material in your account immediately. All courses are available as downloadable PDFs.

If you choose to order course materials in hard copy, you should receive them within one to four weeks. Transit times vary. Allow two weeks for most US, APO, and international addresses. Allow three weeks for shipments to South America and Africa, as well as UNNY pouch mail. Please note that some countries in South America, Asia, and Africa may incur an additional shipping fee for printed materials. Please contact the Help Desk for further details.
All of POTI courses are available in English. View POTI’s current course offerings for courses available in other languages.

The Institute strives to offer translated editions of as much of our curriculum as possible. Please check our website regularly for the newest course translations or review our newsletter, which can be found on our website.
Reading hours for POTI courses are based on a course’s word count; an assumed reading speed of 175 words per minute; and time necessary to answer the pre-course assessment, End-of-Lesson Quizzes, and examination questions for the course. Please note that these are standardized estimates, and individual reading hours will vary. Please view the course reading hours matrix (PDF) to find out how many reading hours are estimated for each POTI course.
You can start the enrolment process after creating an account with POTI. Once you have logged into your account, click Enrol, select the preferred course in your desired language, click Submit, and make payment if applicable.
After you enrol in a course, you can access course materials inside your account. Once you have logged into your account, click My Courses, select the specific course title you are interested in studying, and complete the 10-question pre-course assessment. Upon completion of the pre-course assessment, the options to download a single course PDF or individual lesson PDFs will appear on the right side of the page under the picture of the course cover. Select your preference and save or view your PDF(s) on your device.
No. You may, however, request an official transcript, which will include all courses completed, failed, or pending; dates of completion; scores; a seal; and the signature of the Institute’s Registrar.
We treat our students’ information with respect. Please read POTI’s complete privacy policy.
There is no limit to the number of courses in the Institute’s curriculum that students can take.
Yes. Students who do not successfully pass a course after two examination attempts can enrol in the course again to try to earn a passing score. If you attempt the examination again (regardless of whether you pass), only the latest results will be recorded, not necessarily the highest.
If you cannot find past courses or Certificates of Completion for courses, it may be due to one of the following reasons:

1. You may have enrolled using a different email address or an incomplete name. All POTI accounts are based on unique email addresses, and using more than one email address means your enrolments will not appear under one account. Please contact us with each email address you have used in the past to enrol and your full name so we may locate you in our records and merge accounts under your preferred email address, which you must provide to the Institute.

2. You did not meet the criteria to pass the course. To view your examination scores from all past courses in which you have enrolled, including those for which you did not earn a Certificate of Completion, please log into your account, click My Courses, select the course title for which you believe you earned a certificate, and scroll down to “Exam Results”. You may also view the number of examination questions marked as incorrect on that same page under View Results.

3. You withdrew from the course. If you withdraw from a course, it will no longer appear under My Courses in your account. If you withdrew from a course that you have completed, contact us so that we can re-enrol you.
POTI courses are only available electronically in a PDF format. Your device must support PDFs to be able to read our course material.

If you are experiencing difficulty viewing electronic versions of POTI courses:

Your PDF viewer could be outdated. Please download and install the latest version of Adobe Reader free of charge.

Your Internet connection could be problematic.
In your classroom, click My Courses, select the course title, and do one of the following:
• Click Multiple Files under the course cover picture. This allows you to download one lesson at a time, which is helpful if you have Internet connection issues.
• Right-click on Single File, select “Save link as...” or “Save target as...”, and save the course PDF on your device. You should then be able to open the PDF outside your browser. The Internet browser you are using could be outdated or problematic.
• Ensure that you are using the latest version of your browser. Go to the browser’s website support and download any necessary updates.
• Some versions of Firefox are known to have trouble displaying PDF files. If you are using Firefox, refresh the browser, and then copy and paste the page’s web address (the URL) into a different browser (such as Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, etc.).

If these suggestions do not solve the problem, please use the Help Desk to send the Institute a message, noting that this is a technical issue. Please also provide the error message you are receiving, the Internet browser you are using (Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, Chrome, etc.), and the version of the browser you are using (if known) so we may best address the problem.
A link to the Sign In page is located at the top of each POTI webpage (the My Online Classroom link). You will need to know the email address you used when creating the account and your account password. If you have forgotten your password, there is an option available to retrieve it.
Once you create an account, you will receive an email to verify your email address.

If you would like to receive the email verification again, please request another verification email. This option will not be available if you have already verified your email address. If you need to see what email address POTI has on file, click on My Profile and then click the Change Email link.

Sometimes the verification email will be sent to your email account’s junk mail or spam folder. If you have not received a verification email, check any folders you have labelled as junk mail, bulk mail, spam, etc. for your email verification message. Consult your email service’s help documentation or speak with your email service provider for details about junk mail filtering.
NOTE: If your email address changes, please do not create a new account with your new email address. The new account will not include your previous student records.

To change your name, email, or password, log into your classroom, click My Profile, and change the appropriate information:
• To change your name, change the Name text box under Student Profile and click Save.
• To change your email address, click the Change Email link and update your information. When you click Save, we will send a confirmation message to the new address.
• To change your password, click the Change Password link and update your information. Your new password will be set when you click Save.
Yes. A student is awarded a Certificate of Completion after successfully completing an End-of-Course Examination with a score of 75% or better.
To access your exam, please log into your account, click My Courses, select the course title for which you would like to take the exam, scroll down to “Final Exam”, and click “Start Exam”. Please note you must complete the pre-course assessment before you are able to access the End-of-Course Examination.
POTI offers individual self-paced distance learning courses. You may complete your examination at your convenience (preferably once you have thoroughly read the course material and completed the self-scoring End-of-Lesson Quizzes).
To submit the examination, you must answer all 50 multiple choice questions. Please note you may save your answers and return to the examination at a later time by clicking Save. Once you are ready to submit all your answers, click Submit.
Students have two opportunities to complete the examination with a passing score of 75% or higher.
To access your Certificates of Completion, please log into your account, click My Courses, view Passed Courses (at the bottom of the page), click on the course title, click Certificate, and then Print Certificate.

You can choose to print or view your Certificate with your name only or your title and name.
We do not currently offer hard copy Certificates of Completion. However, you may download your certificate and print a copy for yourself.
This is a professional development course.

Your Certificate of Completion indicates your successful completion of a Peace Operations Training Institute training course. This training is a tangible record that a student who has passed the End-of-Course Examination has demonstrated three things: first, proficiency in the subject area and the ability to pass an objective End-of-Course Examination; second, a fluency and proficiency in the language in which the course was written; and third, a level of discipline and self-motivation through his or her ability to complete a self-paced distance learning course and pass the End-of-Course Examination.
The Institute offers a feature where a third party verifies your Certificate of Completion serial number, found at the bottom of the Certificate.
The name displayed on your Certificate of Completion is the same as the name associated with your account. To correct your name in our system, please login, click My Profile, modify your name as appropriate, and save the changes in your profile.

If you need to make changes to your name on your Certificate of Completion, contact us to request the change. Please offer your name exactly as how you would like for it to appear on your Certificate of Completion.
The POST Certificate, short for Peace Operations Specialized Training Certificate, is a certificate issued by POTI to students who complete multiple courses with us and pass a Comprehensive Examination. This certificate programme includes completion of a core number of courses as well as elective courses. After successfully completing the courses, students must pass a Comprehensive Examination with a score of 75% or higher. Please note, if you receive POTI courses at a discount or tuition-free, this certificate programme is not included, and a paid fee of USD $70 is required.
POTI is often asked about resources for employment, internships, or volunteer opportunities within the areas of peacekeeping and humanitarian relief. Although we are a training institution and not an employment service, we try to assist our students by providing them with information that may be helpful. Please visit POTI’s Career Resources to learn about different opportunities in these fields.
Our official transcripts include all courses completed or pending, dates of completion, scores, a seal (including the POTI emblem) and the signature of the Institute’s Registrar.

To order a transcript, please log into your account, click Request a Transcript, and when prompted, enter your home address for shipping and/or billing purposes. When prompted to enter a second address, only do so if you wish to send the transcript to another recipient, such as an employer or a university.

There are two options available:
1) a downloadable official transcript with a seal and signature from the Registrar, available for USD $20.

2) a downloadable and a hard copy official transcript with a seal and signature from the Registrar, available for USD $25 fee plus the shipping cost to send it to you. All payment options and instructions will be available in your account.

Please also note you may access an unofficial transcript. Once in your account, click on Request a Transcript, and click Unofficial Transcript (English Only). You can then save or print your unofficial transcript.
POTI currently offers seven courses free of tuition: Core Pre-deployment Training Materials, Ebola Virus Disease: Awareness and Precautions for Peacekeeping Personnel, Principles and Guidelines of Peacekeeping Operations, The Role of United Nations Police in Peace Operations, and our three courses on Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolutions on the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda. To begin enrolment, please log into your account, click on Course Sign Up, select one of these course titles, click Submit, and begin studying.
Virtual badges recognize achievements related to course study and active participation in the Institute’s student community. POTI badges are meant to highlight your initiative, and they do not affect your grade for a course. All badges earned will be displayed on your student classroom profile.
Please visit the Achievements page for this information.
Bronze badges are awarded for accomplishing primary objectives. Silver badges are awarded for tasks and achievements that go beyond the fundamentals. Gold badges are reserved for the highest level of achievements and contributions possible at POTI.
Our achievements system began in November 2014. We attempt to recognize students for their past accomplishments before this date, but due to system constraints, we cannot retroactively award badges for every type of achievement.
No. Official transcripts only include courses completed or pending, dates of completion, examination scores, a seal, and the signature of the POTI Registrar.
No. The badges awarded to students by the Institute are digital (online only).
We do not offer job placement or assign positions in the United Nations or any other organization. To find out about employment vacancies within the UN, please visit the United Nations Employment website.

Please note that successful completion of POTI courses does not guarantee employment with the United Nations.
To work in United Nations Peacekeeping, you may work in UN Headquarters in New York, at one of the UN regional logistics hubs, or in the field on a peacekeeping mission.

The UN does not have its own military force. To become part of the troops or police who serve on UN peacekeeping missions, please contact your own military organization for further guidance.

You can also seek further advisement and information from the United Nations Peacekeeping website.
Yes. Students who complete courses with POTI can earn academic credits that may be applied towards a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from American Military University (AMU). AMU provides all courses exclusively online. For additional details on how your POTI courses may be applied towards a university degree, visit the AMU web site.

To find out whether another school or university will accept courses from POTI for academic credit, please consult the school or university’s Registrar’s office for further guidance.

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