Online Master’s Degree Programs at the University of Illinois
The University of Illinois appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Most Affordable Accelerated Master’s in Educational Psychology Online.
With more than 50 online graduate degree programs available, the University of Illinois offers more options for students than almost any other university in the United States. Some of these programs do not require that students do any type of final project or thesis such as its program in aerospace engineering. The university expects students to demonstrate their engineering skills through the classes they take rather than one last project. This program includes 32 credits of classes. Some of the other science programs available allow students to earn degrees in bioengineering and crop science.
Various education graduate programs are available from the university too, including a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Students can focus their studies on digital learning, bilingual education, or perspectives and practices. All majors must do a capstone project and take a course called Curriculum Development for the 21st Century. They’ll have their choice of electives, including Problems and Trends in Special Fields, Children’s Literature in the School Curriculum, and Economics of Education. Education majors can also enroll in programs such as the university’s foundations of e-learning in higher education and diversity and equity in education programs.
The School of Social Work at the University of Illinois offers a Master of Social Work with options for students who studied social work and/or worked in the field and those who have less experience. Students with less experience will take more classes and do more fieldwork. Those with more experience can enroll in the advanced standing program, which reduces the number of classes and the amount of fieldwork they must do. All social work programs allow students to take hybrid classes or solely online courses. Some of the other programs available online for grad students include majors in mechanical engineering, library and information science, health communication, and human resource development.
About the University of Illinois
The University of Illinois is the largest institution of higher learning in the state of Illinois. Established in 1867, the founders of the university selected a location between Urbana and Champaign, which is why its official name is the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Some of the other names used by the university include Illinois and U of I. Founded as the Illinois Industrial University, it was the first industrial school to open in Illinois. It became U of I in 1885 to show prospective students that they could choose from a wide range of degree and program options. The main campus is now the flagship campus in the University of Illinois System. Other campuses are in Chicago and Springfield.
All online programs are available from the University of Illinois Global Campus, which U of I founded in 2008 to replace its old distance learning programs. The Global Campus offers opportunities for nontraditional students and provides them with the same experiences that residential students get. U o I ranks as one of the best colleges in the United States, according to Washington Monthly, ARWU, Forbes, and U.S. News and World Report, all of which rank it among the top 100 schools. The university also ranks as one of the most affordable and best value schools in the country. U of I has an enrollment of nearly 50,000 students.
University of Illinois Accreditation Details
Illinois has the same accreditation for all its online programs as it has for its traditional and residential degree programs. That includes regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Students may want to look at whether specific degree programs have accreditation too. Several of the university’s programs have accreditation from organizations that include the American Bar Association (ABA), Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and Accrediting Council on Journalism and Mass Communications (ACJMC).
University of Illinois Application Requirements
It’s important that students know the application deadline because the university will not accept applications after this date. The date for online programs can differ from the date for traditional programs too. Most online programs have a final deadline of April first. When Illinois receives more applications, it will begin reviewing them earlier in the year and may not have any space remaining, which is why it recommends that students submit their applications as soon as possible. Each graduate program will also provide students with a list of requirements beyond the application and application fee.
One of the main requirements is an official transcript that shows the student earned a bachelor’s degree in a subject area that relates to the graduate program. Illinois will accept unofficial transcripts from students who are still in a degree program. All transcripts must show that the applicant has a GPA of at least 3.0. It also asks for a personal statement that it will use to judge the student’s commitment to the program and writing skills. Students must also provide a letter of reference and a resume. Certain subjects require that students have a minimum of two to three years of professional experience and that they submit a GRE score.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Though U of I offers a calculator for those who want to estimate their costs, it also provides set tuition costs for students in specific online programs. Aerospace engineering, information design and policy, and most education programs charge some of the lowest rates. Students in those programs will pay $473 per credit hour. The College of Business at the university charges $250 per credit for students enrolled in a solely online business or marketing program. Other programs can charge as much as $686 per credit hour. Students in some programs may face costs of more than $1,000 per credit hour if they are not Illinois residents.
U of I offers financial aid for all students unless they audit classes or take self-paced courses. Students can pay a $40 fee and sign up for a payment plan that divides their total costs into two to six payments made during the school year. The Office of Financial Aid at the university offers help for students applying for fellowships and other special programs. Most students will use a federal loan, which they get through the FAFSA. There are alternative loans available for students applying to one of the online graduate degree programs available at the University of Illinois.
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