Welcome to Illinois Courses Online (ICON)!
Previously known as Guided Individual Study (GIS), our program offers University of Illinois courses in a self-paced format, allowing you to take the courses you need when you need them.
You can enroll in ICON self-paced courses that allow you to take your course anywhere at any time. Or you can choose from semester-based or 8-week paced course—whatever fits your schedule!
Illinois Courses Online offers a wide range of full-credit courses in many subject areas taught by University of Illinois Instructors. Our self-paced courses challenge you to take a more active role in your education, giving you the opportunity to strengthen your ability to set goals and meet those goals by allowing you to develop the plan for completing your course. Our semester-based and 8-week courses give you the opportunity to enroll in courses that you might not be able to take on campus, or allow you to take a course that you need even after the semester has begun.
Please note:
- If you are a UIUC degree-seeking student and you wish to take an online semester-based or online 8-week course, you must register via UI Integrate, as you do for your campus based courses. Registering through the ICON website will cause you to incur additional tuition charges.
- If you are not a UIUC degree seeking student, register for these courses through the ICON website.
- All students wishing to register for ICON self-paced courses should register through the ICON website.
ICON is for you if:
- You need flexibility in your schedule
- You are working full-time
- You need a prerequisite for another course
- You are home for the summer
- You are serving in the military
- You are studying abroad
- You need a course to complete a degree
Fundamentals for Self-Paced Courses
ICON self-paced courses include challenging materials that allow you to control when and where you study.
- From the date you are officially registered, you are given six months to complete your course.
- Each course is composed of a series of lessons, exams, and a final exam or paper.
- In each lesson, you will be asked to read specific selections and/or lecture notes and to submit an assignment.
- All exams are proctored by an approved individual present during your exam.
- You may register for ICON courses at any time during the year—not just during the University of Illinois drop/add periods.
- You can take up to three ICON self-paced courses at one time.
- If you are working toward a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, you may earn up to 60 credit hours with ICON self-paced courses.
- ICON self-paced course tuition rates are the same regardless of residency. You do not need to be admitted to the University of Illinois to take these self-paced courses, and taking an ICON self-paced course does not constitute enrollment at the University of Illinois.
- The Academic Outreach Library provides information services and resources to non-UIUC students enrolled in online courses at the University of Illinois. See “Academic Outreach Library Services” in this catalog for more information.
- If you are enrolled at the University of Illinois, a signature from your college dean is required for enrollment in an ICON self-paced course. The ICON program will obtain this on your behalf. Please note that this may take additional time during your enrollment process.
Illinois Courses Online (ICON) is a program offered by Academic Outreach of the Office of Continuing Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. All courses are available for undergraduate credit.
