ONLINE COURSES – UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Miami International University of Art & Design offers selected online courses through a consortium agreement with The Art Institute of Pittsburgh — Online Division. In order to enroll in online courses, students must meet certain requirements. Registration for online courses must be discussed with the student’s advisor during registration each quarter. Online classes are 5 1/2 weeks long. Students can work on the course at any time within a 24-hour period, and are required to log into the course five out of each seven days in the class week (each of the five log-ins during a separate 24-hour period). All assignments must be submitted by midnight of the due date. Student participation in the course is required in addition to submitting formal assignments for the course. Log-ins are monitored. An online course has the same course and exit competencies as the “on-site version” of the same course. Online courses are designed to take advantage of technology, making the learning environment more efficient and maximizing relevance to your prior learning and experiences. As in traditional on-site classes, students are expected to complete all work and submit assignments within the time periods given by the instructor as listed on the course syllabus. Miami International University of Art & Design has reviewed all course descriptions, course outcomes and course syllabi for online courses to determine the educational integrity and equivalency of these courses to the same courses that are offered on ground at the University. Miami International University of Art & Design charges the same tuition for online courses as it charges for on-site courses. In addition, a $100 fee is charged for each online course. The fee covers administration and technical support for students.
PREREQUISITES FOR PARTICIPATION IN ONLINE COURSES
A self-administered survey about online courses is available on The Art Institute of Pittsburgh — Online Division Web site,
www.aionline.edu, to assist students in determining whether they are good candidates for online classes. Before registering for an online course, students should speak to their Academic Advisor at Miami International University of Art & Design to discuss their interests, the type of learning activities with which they are most comfortable, and the amount of time they have available in their schedule to pursue online courses. Advisors can recommend the most appropriate course types and course load. In order to participate in online classes, students must have computer hardware and software equivalent to the specifications indicated by the University. Prior to registration each quarter, Miami International University of Art & Design provides students with a list of courses to be offered online. The
technology requirements specified for each course are available on The Art Institute of Pittsburgh — Online Division Web site. The University regularly reevaluates the hardware and software needs to ensure that students taking online courses are utilizing technology in parity with students taking the same courses on-ground.
REGISTRATION FOR ONLINE COURSES
Students register for online courses during the regular registration period at the University. Online courses are offered in two sessions within the academic quarter calendar. The first session begins at the same time the on-ground coursework begins at Miami International University of Art & Design and runs for 39 days (5 1/2 weeks, 7 days per week). The second session begins 38 days prior to the end of an academic on ground quarter and ends on the same day as the quarter for Miami International University of Art & Design. Students must register for both sessions of a given quarter during the registration process. A student who intends to enroll in only one of two sessions must register for that class during the registration period for the academic quarter. Registration is considered to be confirmed when students have successfully completed the required online academic orientation. This online academic orientation for both sessions of the online courses is offered prior to the start of classes. Any student not completing the orientation will be removed from class.
ACADEMIC AND SOFTWARE ORIENTATION
All students taking online courses are required to successfully complete an academic orientation on online learning prior to the beginning of their course(s). This orientation reviews the expectations, policies, and procedures associated with taking courses online. The software orientation is planned to begin prior to the beginning of classes. During the week of software orientation, students log on to the site that runs the courses on their computers, and complete several exercises to make sure they are knowledgeable and comfortable working before the class begins. It is absolutely necessary to complete this orientation; students do not have the time to orient themselves once the class has begun. Students have access to 24-hour online platform software support via a toll-free number throughout the class if any problems arise. Students also have access to email through The Art Institute of Pittsburgh — Online Division Web site to address any questions or concerns. Some courses also require knowledge of software used in the class. In this case, a software tutorial is offered at no additional charge. The tutorial needs to be completed and a test of software competency demonstrated prior to taking the class.