Before You Register

Before You Register | How to Register | After You Register

Are Independent and Distance Learning courses right for you?

  • Are you well organized and self-motivated?
  • Are you in your second year of college or beyond?
  • Do you have a solid A or B average?
  • Can you schedule several hours per week to work on your course?
  • Do you read and write well?
  • Do you get started on your course work right away and stick with it till it's done?

If you can answer "yes" to these questions, then you are a good candidate for Independent and Distance Learning. Check with your adviser before registering, and start out by taking a single course.

Academic Advising is available

Advising is available to students who are not admitted to the University and have questions about returning to learning. The College's Information Center schedules advising appointments by phone or in person, and offers registration assistance and financial aid information to all. Contact us for help. 

Before you register:

  1. Select the course. If you are already admitted to a program or are planning to apply to a program, contact your adviser to be sure the course fits your needs. Prerequisite courses (previous coursework you need to have) are included in the course descriptions. Most courses are at the undergraduate level. If the course you’re interested in can be taken for graduate credit, see Graduate/Undergraduate Tuition Rates.
  2. Determine the semester in which your course will begin (even if it ends in a later semester). The term the course begins in is the one recorded on your transcript. Click on the appropriate link below to find out about important registration dates, starting and ending dates for the term, cancellations, refunds, and grade changes.

 Registration Deadlines and Term Dates

Summer Semester 2009
Spring Semester 2009
Fall Semester 2008
Summer Semester 2008
Spring Semester 2008
Fall Semester 2007
Summer Semester 2007

  1. Determine whether the course is offered in a term length that will work for you. Courses are offered in two "term lengths":
  1. Term-based. These courses are held during a specific semester. They begin and end at the same time as classes held on campus. Many online courses are held during the regular term.
  2. Extended-term. You can register for these courses at any time during the year. Your term will start the 15th of the month after you register. Work at your own pace and take up to nine months to finish the course work. You can complete your work sooner, but you should expect to spend at least three months on the course work.
  1. Determine if you are eligible for financial aid. If you are not a U of M student — visit the Financial Resources Wizard to find out your options, which may include College of Continuing Education grants and scholarships.

    If you are a U of M student, and are registering for:
    1. A term-based course, there are no restrictions for financial aid that is administered by the U's Office of Student Finance.
    2. An extended-term course, financial aid administered by the Office of Student Finance will not apply.

EXCEPTION: If you are eligible for Minnesota State Grant, the Office of Student Finance will count all Independent and Distance Learning courses you enroll in by the end of the second week of the semester. This includes both extended-term and term-based courses.

If you have financial aid from another source, contact the sponsor to make sure that your aid will cover courses that allow up to nine months for completion.

  1. Determine if the course delivery method will work for you. Courses are offered by two methods:
    1. Printed, also called “correspondence.” Students receive a printed study guide and instructions for assignments. Students communicate with faculty primarily by mail and email. Some printed courses also use online materials.
    2. Internet-delivered. Instructions and course contents are posted on a course Web site. Students communicate with faculty through the Web site.

      Both delivery methods require you to use printed textbooks.
  1. Make sure you have access to the appropriate technology if you plan to register for an online course or one that includes Web materials.
    1. If you plan to connect online from your employer's network make sure you have permission from your employer.
    2. Most Internet-delivered courses use software called WebVista. Go to the University's WebVista site and click on "Browser Set Up." Follow the links to download and configure the right browser, adjust browser settings, enable Java and JavaScript, and check your system requirements.
    3. Some online courses have extra computer requirements such as a high-speed Internet connection for viewing videos. Check the description of the course you want to take.

 

 

Graduate credit for non-University of Minnesota students

If you want to register in a course that offers graduate credit but you are not officially admitted to a University of Minnesota graduate program, you need to follow special registration procedures:

  • Check the specific course description to find out whether graduate credit is available, and
  • Determine which department to contact for more details.

If the department approves your special registration, you will be charged graduate-level (higher) tuition rates for all of the courses you take that semester. The graduate-level approval only lasts for one semester.

Before You Register | How to Register | After You Register