The College of Education is committed to providing Online Students with the highest quality education and support. Our Online Students have access to the same academic support available to on-campus graduate students. Use the information below to find support for your academic needs. If you need to discuss something that is not found here, please reach out to our Graduate Student Services Office.
Your registration time ticket will tell you when you are able to begin registering for courses for an upcoming term. For information about how to access your registration time ticket, please visit the Office of the Registrar's Time Tickets page.
Prior to registering for courses, you will need to view the course schedule in Course Explorer. Here, you will be able to view the courses that are available in upcoming terms and search for courses by semester, part of term, delivery mode, and department.
Course registration takes place via Student Self-Service. Once you have logged in to Student Self-Service, click on the "Registration & Records" tab to begin the registration process. From there, you may select "Enhanced Registration" or "Classic Registration". Please view the following pages for registration instructions:
If you would like to register for a course after the add/drop deadline, you may fill out a Late Registration/Late Course Change Form and email it to gradservices@education.illinois.edu.
To withdraw after a semester starts or cancel registration prior to the beginning of a semester, a student must file the Withdrawal/Cancellation form. The complete form can be returned to the Graduate Student Services Office for approval and processing.
If you have additional questions about the course registration process, please contact the Online Student Advisor, Brianna Davis, at bmdavis2@illinois.edu.
Graduate Student Forms & Petitions
If you need to make a specific request at some point during your program, you may need to submit a Graduate Student Form or a Graduate Student Petition. Situations in which you may need to submit a form or petition include adding a concentration, taking a leave of absence, requesting an online EdD exam course, completing an independent study learning contract, etc.
If you have questions pertaining to the different graduate student forms and procedures, please contact the Office of Online Programs. If you already know which form you need to access OR if you need to submit a petition, you may access these at the links below.
Certificates of Specialization
Certificates of Specialization can be pursued by non-degree seekers who want to pursue professional development, as well as online and on-campus students who are working toward degrees and want to earn additional credentials in another area of interest. It is a non-transcriptable post-baccalaureate certificate issued by the College of Education upon completing all the certificate program courses. (Courses comprising the certificate will appear on the transcript, but the certificate's name will not.)
Once you have completed the coursework for your Certificate of Specialization, please complete the request form to receive your certificate. You will receive your certificate via email or be notified if there is an issue with your request.
Grades are no longer mailed by the US postal service. You may view your current semester grades and your academic history online by logging into Student Self-Service and following the instructions as listed below:
Grade explanation and how to calculate your GPA may be found by visiting the Office of the Registrar website.
The Office of the Registrar will issue official transcripts of a student's academic record, including courses, grades, GPA, and degree upon request of the student.
Transcripts can only be released directly to the student or to a person or entity designated by the student (a photo ID is required when picking up a transcript in person). Official Transcripts are $8 per copy and must be paid for when ordered.
Current or recent students who have an active Student Self-Service login and password may submit an online order for an official PDF or paper transcript using the "Registration and Records" tab in Student Self-Service.
Alumni and former students may request transcripts via Parchment.
If you have questions regarding your transcript request, you may contact the Records Service Center Transcript Unit at 217-333-9778 or transcripts@illinois.edu.
The Learning Management System (LMS) is your "home base" for online courses. You have access to your schedule, assignments, course syllabus, discussion forums, and grades through the LMS.
When you first log into the LMS, you will see a list of the courses to which you have access. Clicking on a course title will bring you to that course's space within the LMS. In the course space, you will find your course readings, assignments, announcements, and other important course information. If you do not see your course listed in the LMS, contact your instructor directly. Your instructor will be able to best assist you with information about how to access your course.
The University of Illinois currently supports Canvas as the primary learning management system.
Your Network ID (NetID) is a name assigned to you by Technology Services that is unique across all University of Illinois campuses. It serves as your login to many University computing and networking services.
New students should visit the NetID claiming website immediately after receiving your Official Notice of Admission letter from the Graduate College. You will need to enter in your University ID Number (UIN) and Admit ID. The UIN and Admit ID were provided to you in your Official Notice of Admission letter.
Please view the following links for additional information.
All email communications to University of Illinois students will be sent to the student's Illinois.edu email address. To set up your University email account, please visit the Email page and follow the instructions.
If you ever lose your password, or wish to change your password, please visit the Identity and Access Management page.
Google Apps @ Illinois is a suite of communication and productivity applications that provides email, online document collaboration, file storage, chat, and calendar services to University of Illinois faculty, staff, and students.
You may access your student account through Student Self-Service. Student Self-Service provides access to a wide range of information and resources, including the student registration portal, records, financial aid, and account services.
Below are quick instructions for accessing some commonly used Student Self-Service resources.
*For questions regarding financial aid, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid directly at finaid@illinois.edu.
*For questions regarding your bill or payments, please contact the University Bursar directly at bursarhelp@uillinois.edu.
Your faculty advisor and the Online Student Advisor are available to assist you as you progress through your program. There are different circumstances under which you should contact your faculty advisor and the Online Student Advisor. The chart below has been created to help you understand who to contact in various circumstances.
Contact the Online Student Advisor for help with: | Contact your faculty advisor for help with: |
Course mapping | Questions about course content |
Degree audits | Research topics |
Questions about student support services | Independent Study options |
Assistance with course registration | EdD Course Requests for EPOL 586/587/591/599 |
Petitions, forms, and procedures | Taking a semester off (Academic leave of absence) |
Adding a concentration or Certificate of Specialization | Qualifying exam inquiries |
Important dates and deadlines | Preliminary exam inquiries |
Graduation information | Dissertation inquiries |
If you are unsure who to contact regarding a particular question, please contact the Online Student Advisor, Brianna Davis, and she will point you in the right direction. Brianna can be reached at bmdavis2@illinois.edu.
For information about upcoming student events, please visit the Upcoming Events page.
The mission of the Graduate Student Conference is to build networks between faculty, colleagues, advanced undergraduate students, and graduate students within the field of education. As a community, it is our aim to address the ways educational access, equity, and opportunity affect, and are affected by, our broader society.
We also strive to introduce new scholars to the important role that academic conferences will play in their scholarly endeavors; to create a safe space for budding scholars to present their ideas, and to serve as a bridge between sharing scholarship within Education at Illinois and the broader field.
Please visit the Graduate Student Conference webpage for more information. If you have questions, please contact gsc@education.illinois.edu.
Consult the Student Code for information about student rights and responsibilities.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, commonly known as FERPA, is a federal law that governs educational records. It grants specific rights to students and regulates how institutions must handle educational record, including grades. The main focus of FERPA is to give students rights to see their records and to protect against disclosures of certain information without the student’s consent or specific legal authorization. More information regarding FERPA.
This message serves as your annual FERPA notification as required by law.
The Chez Veterans Center provides advising and advocacy to students who are veterans. Financial aid benefits may apply. Veterans may use (subject to student eligibility of benefits) Federal and State Veteran Benefit Programs for semester-based online and site-based courses.
It is important that you order your textbooks so that you have them on the first day of class. Many courses require textbook readings during the first or second week of class, so please be sure to order them in time!
To order materials, use the "Buy Textbooks" tool on the Illini Union Bookstore website.
You may wish to purchase books or course materials from other retailers. Please be sure to match the ISBN listed by the Illini Union Bookstore to ensure you are buying the correct materials. Electronic books may have a different ISBN than a printed version. In these instances, check the title, author(s), and edition to ensure they match.
NOTE: Not all courses have textbooks, and some courses require other ordering methods (Amazon.com, Association publication pieces, etc.). Please contact your instructor if you are unsure about your textbook requirements.
Questions about financial aid should be directed to the Office of Student Financial Aid at finaid@illinois.edu or 217-333-0100.
Questions about your bill or your payment should be directed to the University Bursar at bursarhelp@uillinois.edu or 217-333-2180.
Your academic program determines if you can use an Illinois tuition waiver.
Online programs in the College of Education are considered to be self-supporting programs. Therefore, Online students are not eligible to receive Illinois tuition waivers.