Referring Agencies F.A.Q.

Referrals are accepted only from members of the criminal justice system (judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, or probation officer), animal control professionals, social services agencies, educational institutions, or mental health professionals. Only individuals whose referral has been approved can enroll in the B.A.R.C. course.

To make a referral, you must submit a completed referral form. You may complete and submit the form online HERE. You may also download the referral form and submit the completed form by emailing it to referral@BARCeducation.org, or faxing it to 1-888-527-8111. If the referral is approved, the individual who has been referred and accepted into the course will be notified, via email, within two business days after the completed referral form was received. The notification email will also contain enrollment instructions. If not approved, the referring agency contact will be notified by email within two business days of receipt of the completed referral form. Note that referrals are accepted from only the following referring agencies: members of the criminal justice system (prosecutor, judge, defense attorney, or probation officer), animal control professionals, social services agencies, educational institutions, or mental health professionals. 

After a fully completed referral form has been submitted by a referring agency, the potential student will be sent an “Invitation to Enroll” email within 2 business days if the referral is approved. If the referral is not approved, the referring agency contact who made the referral will be notified by email within 2 business days of receipt of the referral form.

Through the use of facial recognition technology, referring agencies can feel confident that the individual they referred to the course is the same person actually taking it.

B.A.R.C. employs eProktor, an advanced facial recognition technology that uses webcams to automatically authenticate students every time they log in to the course or take a quiz or the final exam. By randomly authenticating students throughout every session, the technology also continuously monitors ongoing participation to ensure that students complete and participate in the entire course. To learn more about this facial recognition technology, watch the eProktor video on our Referring Agencies page.

The B.A.R.C. course has 16 classes and, on average takes 8 to 10 total hours to complete. However, the actual time to complete the course may vary, depending on the student’s reading speed; a significant amount of the course includes reading assignments.

The enrollment fee is $199. Students must complete the course within 6 months of the time of enrollment. If needed, they may apply for one 2-month extension for an additional $75.

Yes. For all student eligibility requirements, please see the section on Student Eligibility Requirements on the Referring Agencies page.    

To take the B.A.R.C. course, students will need a desktop computer or a laptop PC or MAC computer; the course cannot be taken with a phone or tablet. The computer must have a high-speed Internet connection (1Mbps or higher). To log in and take the course, students must always use the latest version of Google Chrome Browser which can be downloaded for free HERE. The computer used to take the course must have a 4-megapixel or better webcam internally or attached externally. If students need a webcam, they will have the option to purchase one during enrollment at a cost of $25 for a PC-compatible webcam or $45 for a Mac-compatible webcam.

Yes. The B.A.R.C. course is open to juveniles aged 15-17 who have been referred to the course by a referring agency. Note that a small portion of the course contains content that may be considered graphic in nature. Referrals are accepted only from members of the criminal justice system (judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, or probation officer), animal control professionals, a social services agencies, educational institutions, or mental health professionals.

Yes. Upon successful enrollment in the B.A.R.C. course, students will receive an email that can serve as proof of enrollment.

Yes. Students will be able to download Progress Reports throughout the course to demonstrate how much of the course they have completed. Upon completion of the course and passing the final exam, students will be able to download a Certificate of Completion to show that they have successfully completed the course. The Progress Reports and Certificate of Completion will include a photo of the student captured by the facial recognition program to confirm that the person referred to the course is the one who participated in and completed the course.

Yes. The B.A.R.C. course is taken completely online and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Students may work at their own pace and their progress will be saved as they advance through the course. Students must, however, complete the course within 6 months of enrollment. One 2-month extension is available for an additional $75 fee.

The B.A.R.C. course must be completed within 6 months of enrollment. One 2-month extension is available for an additional $75. Students will not receive a Certificate of Completion unless they complete the course and pass the final exam within this time frame. They will have the option of re-enrolling in the course if they do not successfully complete the course within the time frame, but they will be required to pay the full enrollment fee again.

The course addresses a broad range of humane education and animal cruelty prevention topics. Please visit our Course Topics page for a summary of the different subjects addressed.

Yes. Information presented in the course is reinforced through a series of quizzes that are given throughout the course. Once the entire course is completed, there is a final exam that must be passed with an 80% grade in order to receive a Certificate of Completion. Students will have 3 chances to pass the final exam. If the final exam is not passed after 3 attempts, the entire course must be retaken before the student will be given another opportunity to retake and pass the final exam. The course must be completed and the final exam passed within 6 months of enrollment. One 2-month extension will be available for an additional $75. Students will have the option of re-enrolling in the course if they do not successfully complete the course within the time frame, but they will be required to pay the full enrollment fee again.

Students must pass the final exam with an 80% grade in order to receive a Certificate of Completion. If they do not pass the final exam after 3 attempts, they must retake and successfully complete the entire course before they will be given another chance to retake and pass the final exam. The quizzes and final exam should be easy to pass if students have actively paid attention and participated in all sections of the course. Note that all classes and passing of the final exam must be completed within 6 months of enrollment. One 2-month extension is available for an additional $75. Students will not receive a Certificate of Completion unless they complete the course and pass the final exam within this time frame. They will have the option of re-enrolling in the course if they do not successfully complete the course within the time frame, but they will be required to pay the full enrollment fee again.

Currently the course is available only in English.

The comprehensive B.A.R.C. curriculum was developed by recognized experts in the areas of animal cruelty prosecution, animal law, humane education, teaching and training, psychology, research, and writing. To learn more about these experts, visit The B.A.R.C. Team page.

Please visit our Contact Us page.