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Registration Information
Do I have to be an IU student to take these courses?
No. You do not have to be a student at IU, or any other university, to take our courses. We welcome students who are not in degree-seeking programs, as well as those who are.
How much do the courses cost?
Please see the tuition rates which are described on our Course Offerings pages. Reading materials are not included in the tuition cost.
Do you offer financial aid or assistantships for your students?
Unfortunately, we cannot offer such aid at this time. If you are in a degree program, you may be eligible for federal student loans. The Office of Student Financial Assistance has a web page to help you find out about Federal Stafford Loans.
How do I register for a course?
Current IU-Bloomington Students: You can register for these courses along with your other courses, via the Onestart system. However, you will need authorization. This authorization can be acquired by contacting the Distance Education Registration Desk at deregstr@indiana.edu. Be sure to include your student ID number and course number, and section number, as well as your full name.
Everyone Else: Registration forms for our courses are now available online.
For instructions about how to apply for our Master's or certificate programs, check out the page that describes the Masters requirements. It is possible to take individual courses from us before applying for a program. If you are accepted in a program later, then you can transfer in those courses and they will apply towards your degree.
When do the courses begin and end?
We accept registrations for our courses year round. However, if the semester is already in progress, you will, in most instances, be asked to wait until the next semester begins to start work on the course. Our courses, because of their interactive nature, are not self-paced, so you need to begin your coursework near the beginning of a semester and plan to finish by the end of the semester.
What if I haven't completed the course requirements at that time?
Our courses are designed to be highly interactive and to include regular dialogue between student and instructor and between students. Because of this, we need students to participate regularly, and to keep up with the course readings and assignments. If a student does not complete a course within a given semester, it is the student's responsibility to make arrangements with his/her instructor regarding how and on what timeline they will finish up the course. Students should not assume that they will automatically be granted an Incomplete grade at the end of the semester.
If a student has not completed the course requirements for the course by the end of the semester, the instructor will give the following grade that is most appropriate:
- FN (failed for non-attendance) should be used to indicate that the failing grade was earned because the student failed to participate in the course or stopped participating, rather than for poor performance. Participation in an online course consists of communication with the instructor and other students, turning in assigned work on time, etc.. A student that has ceased communication with his/her instructor may receive this grade.
- I (Incomplete) may be used to indicate that the work done is satisfactory as of the end of the semester, but has not been completed; This usually means that the majority of assignments have been done and only a fraction remain. The student also needs to make specific arrangements with his/her instructor regarding how and when the rest of the required work will be submitted. The maximum time allowed for the removal of an Incomplete grade is one calendar year, but most incompletes should extend for only a few weeks or months. After 12 months, the university automatically converts an Incomplete to a grade of F.
- If a student has completed some, but not all, of the required coursework, and has not made arrangements with the instructor to complete the rest of the requirements, the instructor may give a grade that reflects the graded coursework up to that point.
What if I need to withdraw/drop my courses?
Students who wish to cancel their registrations for a future semester must email deregstr@indiana.edu prior to the first day of classes. Failure to pay does not withdraw you from all classes. Should you decide not to continue with a distance education class, you must follow the procedures for withdrawal. There is no automatic cancellation of your registration for nonpayment. If you do not withdraw properly, you risk receiving grades of F in your courses. You will also be responsible for all course fees, plus any applicable late fees, through the time you complete a withdrawal.
Students who are forced to discontinue their studies during the semester must email the Student Advocates Office at advocate@indiana.edu or call 812-855-0761. International students should email the Office of International Services at intlserv@indiana.edu or call 812-855-9086. If a student withdraws after the first week of classes, the courses will be retained on the student's record with a grade of W or F (as appropriate) and a notation of the date of withdrawal. Refer to the bursar's web site for the last day to withdraw with an automatic grade of W and to determine the last date to withdraw and receive a full refund. To qualify for a grade of W after the deadline, a student must be passing the course(s) on the date of withdrawal. If a student is failing, the grade on the date of withdrawal will be F.
Can I take a course on a pass/fail basis?
It is possible, but must be arranged when you register for a course. Additional paperwork and delay is also involved. Contact the Director of Distance Education at deregstr@indiana.edu for the proper forms.
Do I need to send my transcripts?
For individual courses, we have an easy, no-hassle registration process. There is a short online form to fill out and that's it. To apply for the Master's program, you will need to go through the full application process, which includes sending transcripts and GRE scores. The IST Certificate application doesn't require GRE scores. For more information about the Master's and Certificate application process, see our Master's degree page.
Can I use these courses as transfer credit at another university?
These courses are fully-accredited Indiana University School of Education courses. They are easily transferable to another institution, and should be accepted by any college as elective credit. Whether they will count in place of a required course, of course, is up to the other institution.
I'm not currently teaching. Can I still do the assignments?
Absolutely. Instead of devising lesson plans and teaching them, you will concentrate more on reading and writing about the topics that you choose to explore.
Do you accept international students?
As the IU Office for International Admissions has stated, "International students are an important and vital part of our student body. More than 120 countries are represented on our campus and we currently have over 2,000 international students enrolled in degree and non-degree programs on the Bloomington campus." Many international students have taken our Distance Education courses over the years, and every semester we welcome new students from all over the world. International students can use our regular registration forms to enroll in individual courses. They are also welcome to apply for our Master's program. If English is not your native language, you will need to take the TOEFL test in order to apply for the Master's program.
Well, I sent you my registration forms. Now what do I do?
The first thing a new student should do is to contact the course instructor. You can find the instructor's email address on the web page describing the course. Send the instructor a brief email greeting, letting them know you have joined the course and a little bit about yourself. Then you will want to order the course reading materials from TIS Bookstore or IU Bookstore (see "How do I order my course readings?" below). While you are waiting for them to arrive, you should review the contents of the course website, especially the course schedule. You will want to keep up with the other students so that you can complete the course on time.
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Course Information
What are the requirements for each course, in terms of assignments, class participation, etc.?
See individual courses for their requirements.
How long does it take to complete a course?
The vast majority of our students have no difficulty completing a course within a semester's time.
How long does it take to grade my work? Who grades it?
Generally, please allow one or two weeks for us to thoroughly evaluate your work. Your work will be graded by the instructor of the course.
I don't have regular Internet access. Can I still complete these courses?
We have integrated the wide variety of quality Internet resources that are now available into all of our courses. We also use web-based discussion, email and chat for instructor/student communication and class discussion. In order to complete the course requirements for any of our offerings, students need to have regular, reliable Internet access. However, a broadband connection is not required; modem connections are acceptable.
Who do I contact if I have questions about your course offerings and degree programs?
Please review our contact page to discover the email addresses of the person you wish to contact.
Can I take more than one course at a time?
Yes. Many students take two three-credit-hour courses during a semester and have no difficulty finishing them.
Will I receive an official IU transcript at the end of the course?
You can request an IU transcript reflecting your coursework by following the procedures outlined at http://www.indiana.edu/~registra/Services/trnscrpt.html.
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Master's Degree and Certificate Information
Can I get a Master's degree in Education through this program?
Yes. We currently offer two programs: a Master's in Language Education and a Master's in Instructional Systems Technology. See their individual program pages for more information.
Master's Degree in Language Education
Master's Degree in Instructional Systems Technology
What GRE scores are required for admission to the Master's degree programs?
For more information about the admission process, you may want to visit the Graduate Studies office website.
Do your online courses lead to teacher certification?
Requirements for the teacher certification are set by the 50 state legislatures and almost universally involve some form of supervised student teaching plus other undergraduate courses which vary from state to state. These are not available through our program. Our program is not designed to provide teacher certification. It is designed, mainly, for certified teachers who wish to continue working toward a graduate degree or continue their own professional development. Many of the courses (but not all) can help a person move part-way toward certification. For example 35 of the 50 states require that all high school teachers take a course like our L517 which addresses how to help students become better readers in each content area. It is doubtful that one would be able to be certified as a public school teacher without taking some on-campus courses including supervised student teaching. It would probably be best to contact your state Department of Education or your closest university to see what courses your state requires. It may be that some of our courses will partially meet those requirements, which might make the process a bit more convenient. We do, of course, have a variety of on-campus certification programs, if that is an option for you.
Do completion of your certificate programs in Language Education and Instructional Systems Technology lead to state teacher certfication?
No. These programs are designed for people who want to gain an advanced knowledge of either of the two topic areas without completing a full Master's degree. Neither program includes state teacher certification.
Will these courses prepare me to teach at the vocational level?
Certification for teaching at the vocational level differs from state to state and it is unlikely that these courses would fully meet the requirements for vocational certification in any state. Some of the courses (i.e. Developing Workplace Literacy Programs, Teaching Adults to Read and some of the Instructional Systems Technology courses) are of use to vocational educators. For vocational educators concerned about increasing the ability of students to handled increased literacy and information processing demands, several of the reading education courses have proven to be helpful.
I am interested in your Master's degree in Language Education with an emphasis in Teaching English as a Second Language. Will this degree help me find employment as an ESL teacher?
If you are not certified and are unwilling or unable to meet the certification requirements of your state, this degree all by itself will not allow you to teach ESL in American public schools. Requirements for teaching adults English as a Second Language internationally, however, are not as extensive as those established by state legislatures for U.S. public schools. A master's degree with strong emphasis on ESL will open many jobs in this area. Some non-public schools in the United States are also willing to hire people who have not fully met teaching certification requirements but who have extensive knowledge in areas the school needs.
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New Student Information
How do I contact my instructor?
The course instructor's email address can be found on the course website. You need to contact the instructor as soon as possible after registering. This is your responsibility. If you can't find the course website, or can't find the instructor information on that site, please contact us at deregstr@indiana.edu.
How do I order my course readings?
After you submit your online registration to us, you will want to order your course readings and contact your instructor. Course readings (textbooks and/or reading packets) are available from either the IU Bookstore or TIS Bookstore. The choice is totally up to you.
- You can now order your books online from the IU Bookstore. Just go to http://www.iubookstore.com, and click on "Textbooks" and then choose "Textbook Search." IU's World Wide Web payment authorization system accepts VISA, MasterCard, or Discover as payment. You can also order over the phone by calling 1-800-553-6471--from the menu, choose option 1, ask for Brenda Young and state that you are a Distance Education student and provide your class number(s)--or you can send an email to bkstext@indiana.edu. If you are in Bloomington, you can purchase the books and course packets at the Bookstore in the Indiana Memorial Union.
- To order your readings from TIS Bookstore, call 1-800-238-1229 or (812) 332-3306, extension 211, or send an email to Jackson Wright at jackson@tisbook.com. If you are in Bloomington, you can purchase the books at TIS Bookstore, 1302 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47401. They are shelved with the other Education course texts.
What should I do if I have concerns/questions/suggestions about a course I am taking or an instructor I am working with?
Your first, and most important, contact person at IU is your instructor. The instructor's contact information can be found on each course website. There may be some situations in which you would like to contact the department chair/program director. The department chair will expect that you have first contacted the course instructor and will ask about this. You can find the program director and his/her contact information in the chart below.
| Program |
Chair/Director |
Email Address |
| Language Education courses (the L, W and X courses) |
Larry Mikulecky |
mikuleck@indiana.edu |
| Instructional Systems Technology courses (F and R courses) |
Elizabeth Boling |
eboling@indiana.edu |
| Educational Psychology courses (P and Y courses) |
Joyce Alexander |
joalexan@indiana.edu |
| Professional Development courses (some W505 courses) |
Coordinator -- Sara Gibson |
slavende@indiana.edu |
If you have questions about registration or grade reporting procedures, or other questions relating to the Distance Ed program, please contact the Distance Education Coordinator at deregstr@indiana.edu. If your questions are of a purely technical nature, first ask your instructor. We value your feedback on all aspects of our distance education program, and welcome your input.
I've submitted my online registration. Is there a way to check to see if IU has received it?
You should receive an email confirming your registration. If you are concerned that your online registration may not have been received, feel free to contact the Distance Education Registration Desk staff at (812) 856-8548 or deregstr@indiana.edu. They can also be reached by toll-free phone (in the US) at 1-866-553-0260.
I've just been accepted as a Master's student. Who should I contact about advising (courses to take, etc.)?
Incoming Master's students should contact their department chair to request an advisor. Here is the relevant contact information:
Can I use the OneStart system to view my transcript, bursar records, etc?
Yes, you can use the OneStart system (http://onestart.iu.edu) within ten days of receiving your confirmation. You will need an IU network ID to use the system. To get one, see the next question.
Can I get an Indiana University network ID?
To get your Network ID at Indiana University, follow these instructions:
1. After you register, visit the Account Management Service (AMS) at:http://itaccounts.iu.edu/
2. Select "Create my first IU computing accounts and passwords". Click "Continue."
3. Read and click through numerous legal stuff.
4. Complete the forms.
You must activate your network ID during your first semester of enrollment. If you wait until you are no longer enrolled, you may have problems in the future creating a network ID
Am I eligible for IU library services?
The Bloomington Indiana University Library has a responsibility to provide library services to its distance learners. It is the Library's mission to provide access to as many resources as possible to support curriculum-related teaching, research, and scholarly communication to its off-campus students. See http://www.indiana.edu/~libdist/ for details.
Am I eligible to receive IU student software discounts?
Yes. After registering, follow the instructions found at the Distance Learning Student Licensed Software Ordering Page. If you have questions regarding the software required for an individual course, contact your instructor. Software available for a discount to IU faculty and students is listed at:
http://WWW.IUBOOKSTORE.COM/outerweb/software.asp
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