Online Degrees, Certificates, and Courses

News

Keeping Illinois at the Top in Online Education | 5.23.2018
In 1960, PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) was created on campus. From PLATO, many modern-day concepts were birthed, including forums, message boards, online testing, email, chat rooms, and more.
- In 1996, the School of Information Science’s online LEEP (Library Education Experimental Program), the university’s first fully-online program, was and is still ranked #1 in the US.
- In 2016, the Gies College of Business launched its online MBA, the iMBA, with Coursera. The program has attracted students from 46 states and 56 countries countries and is being hailed as a breakthrough by Poets & Quants, the leading voice in the graduate business education market.
Now, a student advisory board, consisting of 13 students spanning five colleges and seven programs, has been created to ensure the university has a strong student voice in its online leadership role.

The Online Innovation Advisory Board (OIAB), formed at the beginning of the 2017-18 academic year by the Office of the Provost, provides a forum for nonresidential (online) Illinois students to engage with one another and the campus about issues and needs related to the operation of the university’s online courses and programs.

“Our instructors and administrators care about the student experience,” says Adam Fein, assistant provost for educational innovation. “The OIAB is a forum for just that—giving students a platform to tell us what they think.”

Driving Change in Online Programs

“I found the experience to be eye-opening regarding the amount of influence we have to help each other drive change in our respective programs within the university,” says Denise O’Brien-Peterson, co-chair of the committee and an iMBA student in the Gies College of Business.

O’Brien-Peterson says the board has helped to create a consistency and connectivity among students and has driven continuous program improvements.

“The inaugural year of the OIAB was one where we established a goal of identifying and sharing best practices across eight online programs,” O’Brien-Peterson says. “The experience provided me insights into the other Illinois online programs I was unaware existed.”

Providing a Space for Dialogue

Jamie Makatche, a master’s student in Library & Information Science and a fellow committee member, speaks of the power in bringing students from diverse programs together.

“Having an advisory board made up of students from across the different online programs provides a space for dialogue among students and an avenue for students to provide feedback and ideas to administrators,” she says. “This type of information-sharing was not happening before the OIAB, and my hope is that the increased dialogue builds the Illinois online community across schools and programs.”

O’Brien-Peterson says that increase dialogue is helping to make Illinois online courses and programs stand out.

“The Illinois online experience is unique in the network students have an opportunity to develop with each other and faculty,” she says. “While the programs are online, the connections created make the programs different from other universities.”

Building Academic Communities and Improving Processes

Based on her experience with the board in its first year, Makatche suggests that online programs build academic communities focused on scholarship and real-world application. “That will look different depending on the field or size of the program, but I believe that all online students are looking for opportunities to network, learn, and grow,” she says.

Henny Wong, another board member and a student in the Master of Human Resource and Industrial Relations program, believes the OIAB laid important groundwork in its initial year. “I think the pain points we identified and the suggestions we provided to improve processes and technology used by and provided to online students should give current and future students hope,” he says. “There are people out there who want online students to get the most out of these programs.”

Blazing Trails in the Online Space

Eric Ice-Gipson, co-chair of the board and a student in the iMBA program, speaks of the range of online programs at Illinois. “There is a wide gulf of ideas on how to best run a given program,” he says. “We need to continue the collaborative efforts to engage students, faculty, and program directors, to reach outside our individual program walls and involve other colleges and professors who have backgrounds in delivering excellent online programs or courses. And we don’t want to forget about the brick and mortar people, as they too may have ideas on how to improve and trail blaze the online space.”

The idea of trailblazing, particularly for professional students, is echoed by O’Brien-Peterson.

“Illinois is driving change in education,” she says. “The online programs at Illinois align with how we work and live. We live in a 24/7 world where information and people are always connected, and the way Illinois has created and adapted programs aligns with the way professionals want and need to learn.

“Students have the ability to influence change from within their respective programs and feel empowered to be a part of something game-changing in education.”

Makatche says she was attracted to Illinois because the faculty at the iSchool are leaders in providing a robust online learning experience.

“I feel privileged to be part of an online learning program that was one of the first online programs in the country,” she says. “The LEEP program began in 1996, and has been the forerunner in online library education ever since.”

The OIAB is intent on keeping not only LEEP, but all of its online students and their programs, at the fore.

Illinois Online by the Numbers
- 94 The number of online degree and certificate program options from 10 academic colleges
- 60+ Countries represented by Illinois’ online students
- 617 Online courses offered in academic year 2017-18
- 11,874 Enrollments in Illinois Online summer courses
- 1 The first university in the world to offer a MOOC-based degree with Coursera
- 72,385 Enrollments in Illinois online courses in 2017-18
- 25% The increase in online enrollments from 2016-17 to 2017-18
- 84% The percent of Illinois winter online students who said the quality of interaction with online instructors was the same or better than that in most face-to-face courses
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University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business Graduates First iMBA class | 5.11.2018

The first graduating class of the Gies College of Business’s iMBA program is travelling to campus for convocation ceremonies on May 13. The iMBA program, launched in January 2016, is a degree program administered on the Coursera platform.

Read more about the graduating iMBA class and learn more about the program.

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Illinois Online represented at Admitted Student Days | 4.10.2018

As National Decision day approaches on May 1st, many high school seniors have chosen a college to attend this fall. If you are headed to Illinois, you’ve made a great choice! If you are still deciding on what institution to attend, be sure to visit an Admitted Student Day at the University of Illinois. Admitted Student days provide an overview of the university and the opportunities it offers to students. During the program, prospective students participate in a question and answer session with current students, receive a tour of campus, and visit booths representing different resources offered at Illinois.

Illinois Online representatives attend admitted student days to share the benefits of online classes. With over 1,000 people attending each admitted student day, our team has had the opportunity to talk to a diverse group of students and parents about what Illinois Online offers.

If you’d like to visit our booth and hear more about online learning, or want cool Illinois Online gear, register for an Admitted Student Day and visit us at the Illini Union on April 16th or April 20th from 8:30 – 9:30 AM. You can also follow us on social media to learn more about Illinois Online!

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Illinois' Digital Marketing Certificate ranked #11 | 4.6.2018

Digital Defynd has announced its 18 best Coursera courses, certificates, and specializations for 2018. The University of Illinois’ Digital Marketing MasterTrack^TM Certificate has made the list at #11!

The University of Illinois offers several programs through Coursera including a Master of Science in Accounting, Business Administration, and Computer Science. If you are looking to learn real world skills completely online, check out the rest of the courses that Coursera offers.

If you’re looking to develop a rich understand of the digital marketing landscape and learn in-demand skills for your marketing career, enroll now in the Digital Marketing MasterTrack^TM Certificate!

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Events

Date	Event
7.4.2018	Independence Day (All Campus Holiday) (?)
7.9.2018	Summer Courses Begin for POT S2B Term (?)
8.2.2018	Last Day of Instruction for Summer Session (?)
8.27.2018	Fall Semester Begins (?)
9.3.2018	Labor Day (All-Campus Holiday) (?)

Online Illinois Calendar

Blogs

One course could make all the difference this summer at Illinois | 5.7.2018

Are you still considering your summer plans? Why not take a summer course and take advantage of the excellent courses that the University of Illinois has to offer? With over 350 online courses available during the summer, in a variety of subjects, you are sure to find a course to fit your needs!

Online summer courses are a great way to get ahead in your studies or to catch up if you’re a little behind. Not only can you take a class from anywhere in the world, a majority of them offer a flexible class schedule that allows you to work at your own pace. With such a large offering of courses, online courses are also a great way to learn about subjects that are relevant and interesting specifically to you. While we’ve highlighted a few of the courses being offered this summer below, there are so many more interesting courses to choose from. Check out the rest of the courses we offer at our online.illinois.edu.

English 104: Intro to Film
Summer is usually the time for binge watching Netflix shows, so why not kill two birds with one stone by enrolling in this fascinating course? During this course you will explore a diverse range of films in order to gain cinematic expression as well as explore a film’s ability to entertain while exerting artistic and social influence. While films are created to entertain, there’s often a deeper and hidden purpose behind a film that is often lost on the audience. This course will help you explore these hidden messages and allow you to assign a deeper meaning to films.

Geology 104: Geology of the National Parks
National parks such as Yellow Stone and Yosemite have long been popular travel destinations because of the natural beauty that they possess. This course will help you understand the geological background of some of the most famous national parks. Students will explore how the landscapes have changed and how they will continue to change in the future.

Sociology 350: Technology and Society
Technology has and will continue to change society as we know it. We are surrounded by constant innovation that pushes the boundaries of what we thought was possible. SOC 350 explores the social and cultural origins of modern technology and technological innovation and the effects that it has had on society. Specific topics in this course include the impact of technology on beliefs and values, accommodation and resistance to change, and technology’s role in the third world.

Geology 118: Natural Disasters
While Illinois isn’t well known for its natural disasters, learning about these feats of nature can be extremely interesting. This course introduces the nature, causes, risks, effects, and prediction of natural disasters including earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, subsidence, global climate change, severe weather, coastal erosion, floods, mass extinctions, and meteorite impacts. Students will have the chance to learn about the science behind these natural disasters as well as study some of the most well-known and destructive natural disasters in history.

Spanish 101: Intro to Spanish
Con aproximadamente 400 millones de hablantes, el español es el segundo idioma más hablado en el mundo. If you didn’t understand that first sentence, then maybe consider taking Spanish 101 this summer! With over 400 million Spanish speakers worldwide, Spanish is the second most spoken language behind Chinese. Having the ability to speak Spanish opens up countless possibilities in the United States and worldwide. Spanish 101 is an intensive beginner Spanish course where you will develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills to a novice high level.

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How to Manage Time Wisely In Winter Session | 12.18.2017

Did you know that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers more than 40 course options over the winter session? A winter course can help to boost your GPA, graduate early, study remotely and flexibly and enjoy a productive, focused, meaningful winter break. Yet you may wonder if it is manageable to take on a full credit online course over the break. This post will discuss why winter session could be a challenge and how to manage your time wisely in a winter session.

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Spotify Playlists to Study to | 8.17.2017

Some students find that listening to music while studying can improve their mood and help them concentrate, but research suggest vocals can be distracting. Here is a list of five, lyric-free playlists Spotify has to offer for your study needs!

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How to Manage Time Wisely in Winter Session | 7.18.2017

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers a number of four-week online courses over the winter break. You may wonder if it is manageable to take on a full credit online course over the break. This post will discuss why winter session could be a challenge and how to manage your time wisely in a winter session.

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University of Illinois Illinois Online University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Summer Online Courses

Summer Course Spotlight: GEOG 105

Summer Course Spotlight: REL 110

New Instructional Design Certificate

New Digital Marketing Certificate

New Master of Science in Strategic Brand Communication

News

Driving Change in Online Programs

Providing a Space for Dialogue

Jamie Makatche, a master’s student in Library & Information Science and a fellow committee member, speaks of the power in bringing students from diverse programs together.

Building Academic Communities and Improving Processes

Blazing Trails in the Online Space

Illinois Online by the Numbers

Events

Blogs