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Indiana University Online

Frequently asked questions

Once we know your program of interest, you'll be assigned to a "home campus," or campus of enrollment. That campus administers your degree program (payments, financial aid, registration, advising), awards your diploma, and serves as your home base once you are admitted.

That said, you can take available online courses offered by any campus. Always check with your academic advisor to make sure the courses you select fulfill your degree program's requirements.

Also, check with the financial aid office on your home campus before registering for a course at another campus, because taking a course or courses from another campus may affect your student financial aid.

IU Online is Indiana University—online. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Classes are created and taught by the same professors who teach on campus. Our online students experience an education just as rigorous and invigorating as on-campus students. When you graduate, you'll receive a globally recognized Indiana University degree.

Nope! Your diploma and transcripts are identical to their on-campus counterparts.

Upon successful completion of all your degree requirements, you'll receive a diploma that says "Indiana University" in large lettering. Small lettering at the lower right-hand corner states that the diploma was awarded in "X city." The city provided is the city in which your home campus is located, e.g., Richmond, Kokomo, Gary, South Bend, New Albany, Indianapolis, or Bloomington. A degree or certificate awarded by the School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI will say "Purdue University."

100% online courses

Most of our courses are 100% online. No need to come to campus, but you're always welcome to visit!

Courses that are 100% online may have different delivery methods:

  • 100% online classes have no on campus meeting requirements. All work will be completed online. You will not be required to log in on specific days or at specific times. There will be due dates to follow.
  • Hybrid, distance classes combine online instruction with regular required class meetings over live video. You will not be required to come to campus. Portions of the class will be completed online, and portions will require you to log in at specific times on a regular (often weekly) basis to participate in class.
  • Distance, live video classes are taught entirely through regular required class meetings on live video. You will need to log into the class at specific times on specific days throughout the entire semester. Some live video classes require attendance in a special campus classroom.

Courses with in-person requirements

Some of our courses (primarily graduate courses in business) have in-person requirements but are still primarily online. To see if your program has in-person components, go to the IU Online website. Find your program page and check under "course delivery" at the top of the page.

Classes with in-person requirements are completed almost entirely online without requiring you to log in on specific days or at specific times. There will be due dates to follow. You will be required to come to campus for at least one class meeting, such as an orientation or exam(s).

Check a program’s tuition costs on the IU Online website. Find your program page and see in-state and out-of-state tuition costs at the top of the page. Additional fees may apply.

All bachelor’s and master’s degree programs are eligible for financial aid. Certificate program eligibility varies. Refer to your program page for eligibility notes specific to the certificate program.

Apply for most forms of federal, state, and institutional aid by submitting the FAFSA online, even before you apply. Once you've been admitted to IU, you can also complete the IU General Scholarship application.

Each program has its own set of application requirements and admissions standards. Check a program's admissions info on the IU Online website. Find your program's web page and scroll down to the Admissions section.

Find information about getting admitted on the Get Started page.

If you're an international applicant wanting to pursue an undergraduate program, contact the undergraduate admissions team at iuoapply@iu.edu or 844-445-0117. If you are considering a graduate program, contact the graduate admissions team at iuograd@iu.edu or 833-930-2092.

Undergraduate students can transfer up to 64 eligible credits from regionally accredited community colleges and up to 90 eligible credits from regionally accredited four-year universities. Save time and money by transferring credits you've already earned. We'll review your credits and work with you to create a course schedule that ensures you only take the classes you need. If you know your campus of enrollment and want to get a jump start, see what credits will transfer with Credit Explorer.

Transfer-credit eligibility can vary by program for graduate students. We can connect you with your program expert to talk with you about transfer opportunities.

We strive to process applications in a timely manner and will send (to the email address you listed on your application form) regular updates about your admissions status. Note: If you have a Gmail account, be sure to check your "promotions" folder.

Applications to graduate programs tend to require more time than applications to undergraduate programs.

Yes, you can take individual courses, but it is imperative that you first check with your academic advisor to make sure that the IU course you're considering fulfills your university's degree requirements. Once you have your advisor's go-ahead, fill out our quick and simple application. You will receive instructions for registering once you are admitted.

To register for an online graduate course, contact the graduate department offering the course.

Search for the class you want to take.

Using the dropdown menu:

  • Select the semester you'd like to register for. If left blank, your search will return results for all available upcoming semesters.
  • If you know which campus offers the course that interests you, select that campus. Otherwise, leave the campus field blank. Your search will return results for all campuses.
  • Choose your desired delivery method. If this field is left blank, your search will return results for all delivery methods.
  • If you know it, enter the exact course number and name. Otherwise, type a keyword.

On the results page, click on the course number (for example, BUS-A 201; CJUS-P 623) of your desired course to receive registration instructions.

We follow a traditional academic schedule, with fall, spring, and summer terms. Your start date will depend on your campus of enrollment. Check the calendar for your home campus.

Most of our classes are asynchronous, meaning there's no need to meet at a certain time! You can access your coursework 24/7. If a course does require certain meeting times or has an attendance component, that will be clearly communicated to you before you enroll.

Please note that although you can access your coursework at any time, your courses will have deadlines for assignments and exams. They are not self-paced courses.

We invite you to preview courses in our IU Online Course Test Drive.

After you have successfully registered for a class, you'll be able to access your coursework by logging into Canvas.

Canvas is IU's learning management system (LMS). Canvas includes your assignments, discussions, announcements, quizzes, and syllabus, as well as enhanced tools and features for communication, collaboration, and assessment.

You can log into Canvas using your IU username and passphrase. Access Canvas from a web browser (on a computer, smartphone, or tablet) or via the mobile apps distributed by Instructure.

The Canvas Student Guides provide excellent how-to information for the Canvas learning management system.

You can get more details in several ways:

You'll find plenty of COVID-related information and resources at https://www.iu.edu/covid/index.html. Questions? Send an email to iuonline@iu.edu or call 844-948-4863.

Still have questions?

We are here for you 24/7!

Phone: (844) 948-4863