 Frequently Asked Questions About Online Independent Study ClassesWhat is Online Independent Study? What is Online Independent Study? Online Independent Study is a way to take college classes without entering a classroom. With the exception of exams, which are proctored, all course lectures are fully online. Students use textbooks, assignments and exams to earn college credit and communicate with course instructors via email, online threaded discussion and occasionally through online chat or phone appointments. Instructors give feedback via responses on assignments and exams. Grades are typically based on assignments, projects, participation and exams. Students can register at any time and can take up to nine months to complete a course. Courses are offered through the Distance Education Office at the University of Utah. Back to list of questions Why should I take Online Independent Study courses? Flexibility. Jobs, family, location and even on-campus courses with waiting lists can make it difficult to attend traditional classes. Regardless of your reason, Online Independent Study offers you a flexible option in meeting your educational goals. Be advised, however, that to complete an Online Independent Study course you must be self-motivated and dedicated to learning. Back to list of questions Is Online Learning Right for Me? The Utah System of Higher Education has an online tool that may help you decide whether or not online learning is right for you. We suggest you take a few moments to take their survey. Do I have to commute to the U of U campus to take an Online Independent Study course? No. However all exams are proctored by individuals who meet detailed criteria set forth by the University of Utah Distance Education Office. Back to list of questions How do I submit assignments and take exams? Most assignments will be submitted online or via email to your instructor. See your course syllabus for detailed instructions. You'll need to submit the required assignments and have them graded and returned to you before you take each exam. All work must be submitted in chronological order. Local students may take exams at the University of Utah Testing Center on weekdays. For hours, visit their website at www.sa.utah.edu/testing/. You will need to bring a photo ID and pay a $5.00 fee. If you live outside the Salt Lake area, you must arrange to have a university or college testing center administer the exam. The final exam, paper, project, etc. must be completed and turned in to your instructor before your course expiration date! Back to list of questions Do I get college credit for these courses? Yes. Credits are based on semester units. Many colleges and universities accept credit earned through the University of Utah's Online Independent Study courses. Check your institution's credit transfer policy and department/major requirements before enrolling. Military personnel should consult with their education officer; teachers seeking endorsements and certification requirements should speak with their school district or state board of education recertification specialist. NOTE: Credit for each course is awarded in the semester in which the final exam is taken. Back to list of questions Are these courses semester based? No. Online Independent Study courses are not semester based. You register for a course at any time and have up to nine months from the date of registration to complete all coursework. How quickly can I complete my course? Every Online Independent Study course is different. Contact the Distance Education Office for information on a specific course. Back to list of questions What if I don't finish my course in nine months? Students may purchase up to six one-month extensions. Each extension begins the day the course expires. Contact the Distance Education office for the cost of these extensions. Extensions are nonrefundable. Back to list of questions I am a U employee - can I get reduced tuition? No. Online Independent Study courses are not funded by the University and payment for courses are processed differently than on-campus courses, therefore reduced tuition does not apply. May I take more than one course at a time? Yes. You may take up to three classes at once. When you finish one, you may add another. NOTE: A maximum of 30 semester credit hours of Independent Study credit may be applied toward graduation at the University of Utah. No more than 10 hours of Independent Study credit may be taken during your senior year. Resident requirements vary from institution to institution so check with your parent institution's graduation office to determine independent study credit limits. Back to list of questions Do I have to take courses for credit? No. You may audit an Online Independent Study course or apply for the credit/no-credit option (fees remain the same for both). To audit a course, check the appropriate box on the registration form. You may submit assignments for instructor comment, but you don't have to take the exams. These courses will appear on your transcript with a "V" for visitor. If you choose to take the course credit/no-credit, your academic transcript will read CR for grades of C- or above and NC for grades of D+ or below. Ask the Distance Education office for the required CR/NC form; return this form with or before the second assignment is submitted. You may change back to a letter grade before the final exam. Back to list of questions I am still in High School - can I take courses? Yes. High school seniors may take classes at the introductory course level with written approval from your parent or guardian and your school principal. Back to list of questions No. Financial aid is not available through the Distance Education Office. Independent Study students are usually not eligible for funds originating through grants or loan programs, nor does enrollment in Independent Study courses meet federal requirements for loan deferment. Check with your loan agency for loan deferment policies regarding independent study courses. The Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES) accepts credits earned from the University of Utah. Consult your education officer or nearest education center concerning individual, veteran or tuition supported enrollments. Back to list of questions Students must register for Independent Study courses through the Distance Education Office - not through campus registration. You can register through Distance Education in the following convenient ways:
Can you bill me for registration? No. All courses must be paid for in advance by cash, check, credit card or money order. Back to list of questions How do I get my course materials? You will receive an email with detailed course access instructions, username/password details, course expiration date, and additional information within 2 business days of registration. Your course syllabus lessons and assignments can all be found in your online course. You will also find a link to an online "Policy and Procedures" brochure that covers Distance Education Online Independent Study policies. Textbooks and supplemental materials such as videos, and computer disks are ordered separately through Specialty Books. In-stock materials are shipped within 24 hours of receipt of payment for the order. Special order items may take 12 to 15 business days. All materials are shipped via FedEx or UPS to domestic locations and via UPS International for orders outside the United States. For domestic orders Specialty Books accepts VISA®, MasterCard®, Discover®, and American Express® credit cards. They also accept personal checks. Any of the credit cards listed above or international money orders are required for international orders. You can reach Specialty Books by phone (800-466-1365 or 740-594-2274) or via the Internet at www2.specialty-books.com/utah. Be ready with the information that you are a University of Utah student and the exact name and number of the course(s) for which you are ordering materials (course names and numbers are included in the introductory email we send to you). You should also mention that you are registered for the online, not the print-based, version of a course. The course enrollment date is based upon the day fees are paid, not the date materials are received. If, however, the materials take longer to arrive than the listed times, you may request an extension of the course expiration date. Call 801-581-8801 or 800-467-8839 for more information. Back to list of questions What can I expect from my instructor? Students are encouraged to contact their instructor via email if they have questions related to course content, assignments and exams. Some instructors may also offer online office hours via chat by appointment only. It's important that you receive the instructor's comments on assignments before you move ahead in the course. There are a limited number of assignments you may submit within a seven day period. Allow five to 10 working days for the instructor to grade assignments. Back to list of questions Do I have to attend online courses at a specific time? No. Our Online Independent Study courses are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, our instructors are not. There may be occasions where your instructor is not available for a short period of time due to other commitments. We will notify you in advance of any planned instructor absences. However, there may be occasions where unplanned events can cause an instructor to be unavailable. Because of this, we encourage students to begin their coursework right away. Although 9 months may seem like a large span of time, you will be surprised how quickly it goes by. Back to list of questions Can I earn a degree by taking only online classes? No. The University of Utah does not currently offer online degrees. What are the basic technology requirements for Online Independent Study courses? Generally, students will need the following:
Some courses may also have additional system requirements, which can be found in their course descriptions. WebCT users please see the recommended browser chart on this page. Back to list of questions What if I don't have much computer experience? Taking an online course requires a certain degree of technical proficiency. At a minimum, you must know how to surf the Internet, send and receive email, and download files. Some online classes make use of media that utilize plug-ins, and some courses may require other skills like the ability to download PDF files. See course descriptions for additional details. Back to list of questions No. Distance Education does not send out transcripts. Your course grade is sent to the University's Transcript Office. NOTE: Distance Education cannot ensure that a final grade will appear on an official University of Utah record unless all assignments and exams are completed three weeks before the designated credit deadline. Students must request and pay for transcripts through the Transcript Office at the University of Utah. For additional details, visit the Transcript Office website. Official printed University of Utah transcripts are only available at the end of each semester term and take at least two weeks to mail out. If an official verification of completion for a Distance Education course is required before the end of a semester, the University of Utah Registrar's Office will send an official letter. An official transcript will be sent as soon as it is available. Back to list of questions I am registered for an online course but still have not received any instructions. What should I do? You may want to check to see if your email service has directed any of our messages into a spam or junk mail folder by mistake. If it has, we ask that you add our email address (distance@aoce.utah.edu) to your email address book to prevent future problems. If it has not, please contact our offices (see below) so we can verify your email address and try to send your course materials once again. Back to list of questions Contact Information:
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