Students registering for GIS courses after 08/24/08 will have 6 months to complete their course.
Online Courses
All lecture notes and assignments are contained within the online course itself. You will complete and submit all assignments online, and your instructor will provide all your feedback online. After all of your assignments and exams (or final paper) have been graded, your final grade will be calculated in the online course grade book.
- When you have been officially registered in an online course, you will receive a Welcome Letter by e-mail. Your response to this Welcome Letter, via the link provided, will provide essential information to get you started in the course. Note that you must respond to the link in the Welcome Letter with the requested information to receive an email with instructions for accessing your online course.
- The nine-month period during which you must complete the course will begin on the date indicated in the welcome letter.
- You will need a University of Illinois NetID to access your online course. If you do not have a NetID, one will be processed for you, which may take up to a week after you receive your welcome letter.
- You will receive the NetID Claiming URL via e-mail or the NetID and password via postal mail.
- Once you have responded to the welcome letter and received a NetID, an e-mail will be sent to you with instructions for accessing your online course.
Print-based Courses
For a print-based course, you will receive a printed course Study Guide packet that includes a list of required textbooks and materials, study instructions, supplementary information, specific learning assignments, cover sheets for submitting assignments, and exam request forms with proctor information. The nine-month period during which you must complete the course begins on the date that your GIS registration is complete, shortly after which you will receive your Study Guide packet. You should purchase the required textbooks and any other required materials as soon as possible after you receive your packet.
As you complete your assignments, you simply mail the completed assignments to GIS or you may drop them off in-person at the GIS office on the Urbana-Champaign campus. Your assignment is forwarded to the instructor for evaluation and comments. The graded assignment is then returned to you. Once you have completed all the assignments and exams (or final paper), you will be sent a course grade.
Internet-enhanced Courses
Internet-enhanced courses are delivered online using Illinois Compass. The syllabus information, lessons, and self-tests are provided online, however students will submit homework assignments via postal mail, e-mail, or fax. Once you have completed all the assignments and exams (or final paper), you will be sent a course grade.
For all courses, your final course grade will be recorded at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Office of Admissions and Records.
Eligibility for GIS Courses
Enrollment is open to on-campus University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign students, off-campus University of Illinois students, high school students, students enrolled at other colleges and universities, and individuals studying on their own. Enrollment in a GIS course is not the same as admission to a degree program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. If you wish to to be admitted to a degree program at the U of I, you should obtain and complete an official “Application for Admission” form, available from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Credit earned through GIS courses will be recorded at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Office of Admissions and Records and may be used toward a degree, depending on the requirements of your current or future university.
International Students
GIS print-based and online courses are available to anyone in the world. International students must pay a nonrefundable $35 airmail service postage fee for each print-based course. There are no additional fees for online courses. All fees must be in United States currency.
Members of the Armed Services
International postage fees for print-based courses are waived for students currently serving in the United States Armed Forces.
High School Students
If you are a high school student (at least 15 years old) with a grade point average of at least 3.5 out of 4.0, you may enroll in any entry-level GIS course with the express permission of your high school guidance counselor and GIS approval. You may be eligible to earn college credit, advanced high school credit, or both. The GIS program requires a copy of your official high school transcript with the enrollment form.
Graduate Students
If you are a graduate student at any university, you may take GIS courses; however, you will not earn graduate credit. In some cases, you may be able to use undergraduate GIS courses to meet prerequisites for graduate programs.
Academic Outreach does offer graduate credit courses, using both face-to-face and distance learning delivery, on a semester basis for regular graduate credit or for CEU and CPDU credit. For more information about these and other Academic Outreach programs, call 800-252-1360 or visit our website.
Students Requiring Special Services
The U of I Division of Rehabilitation Education Services (DRES) coordinates services for students with special needs. Please call 800-252-1350, ext. 34603 (V/TDD) at least six weeks prior to the beginning of the course to allow adequate time to make necessary accommodations.
Time Considerations and Deadlines
Nine-month Completion Period
A nine-month period is allowed for completion of each GIS course. The time that it will take you to complete a course depends on a variety of factors, including the number of assignments required, the schedule of the instructor, your own schedule, and the quality of the work you submit. Therefore, it is not possible for the GIS program to guarantee a particular completion date. Completion of your course in less than 6 weeks is contingent upon the approval of the instructor and GIS.
Important: If a course is removed from the sponsoring department’s academic offerings after you have enrolled and begun work on the course, you must complete the course within the timeline as determined by the department.
Textbooks, Library, Credit, Transcripts
All GIS courses have required textbooks and/or materials. The list of required textbooks is located in the course syllabus.
Illini Union Bookstore
When you receive the list of required textbooks in the course syllabus, you may order the required textbooks from the Illini Union Bookstore on the Urbana-Champaign campus by ordering from the Illini Union Bookstore’s Web site or by calling the bookstore at (217) 333-2050. The cost and postage for all textbooks must be prepaid. You can charge them using VISA, Discover, or MasterCard. If you are ordering books elsewhere, be sure to ask for the correct edition and year of publication.
Academic Outreach Library Services
The Academic Outreach Library provides information services and resources to non-University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign students enrolled in GIS courses at the University of Illinois. Students may access library materials (journal articles, books) at no charge for the service. Our librarians can provide research and reference assistance, conduct individual library instruction sessions via phone or e-mail. Students may obtain a photo-less I-card, a University of Illinois identification card that may be used as your library card. More information can be found on the Academic Outreach Web site, under “Services for Students and Faculty.”
Credit Transfers to Other Institutions
The credits that you earn through GIS courses normally transfer to other institutions on a basis equal to credits earned on the U of I campus. However, officials at other colleges and universities must determine which courses will be accepted at their institutions. Be sure to verify in advance whether the course you have selected will be accepted for credit and/or applied to degree requirements at another institution.
Transcripts
There is a $5 fee for the first transcript. All requests for official transcripts of completed courses should be addressed to:
Transcript Department
Office of Admissions and Records
University of Illinois
901 West Illinois Street
Urbana, IL 61801
www.oar.uiuc.edu 
