Curious about UW Independent Learning online courses?

Are online courses for me? An explanation of the email "Discover A Low Cost Way to Earn UW Credit" from the L&S Honors Advising Team

Have you received an email promoting low cost ways to earn UW credit? Do you find yourself wondering “should I take an inexpensive online course?” While the vast majority of UW-Madison students take courses solely at UW-Madison, occasionally situations (such as a surgery or the illness of a loved-one) make online courses through other institutions more convenient. Here is some information that you should know before making a final decision about whether or not to take an online course through UW Independent Learning.

What is UW Independent Learning?

UW Independent Learning is a branch of the UW-Extension that offers “at your own pace” college courses online. UW-Extension is a part of the UW System, but is not a part of UW-Madison. Credit earned at UW Independent Learning needs to be transferred to UW-Madison after being earned. The transfer credit does not carry a grade on your UW-Madison transcript once transferred.

Can I take courses at UW Independent Learning that will help me satisfy UW-Madison requirements?

This is certainly possible. We recommend talking with an advisor about your outstanding requirements and which courses you are considering taking through UW Independent Learning to make sure that the course truly helps you. To see how UW Independent Learning courses transfer, use the Transfer Information System Wizard. It is important to note that UW Independent Learning courses are not Honors courses and cannot satisfy Honors in the Liberal Arts requirements.

The email said that I might not need to pay additional tuition. Can this be true?

Sort of.  If you are already a full-time student at UW-Madison and you want to take an online course through UW Independent Learning, you might qualify for a tuition waiver. However, due to Concurrent Enrollment policies in the College of Letters & Science, it is uncommon to take courses at two institutions at once. The vast majority of UW-Madison students who take UW Independent Learning courses do so over the summer term when they are not concurrently enrolled at UW-Madison and are, as such, responsible for all tuition and fees at UW-Extension.

Is it true that I can take up to one year to finish the online course?

While UW-Extension Independent Learning allows students to spend up to one calendar year completing the course, UW-Madison College of Letters & Science concurrent enrollment policy usually signifies that the student must begin and complete the course in the same term. Talk with an advisor if you want to learn more about this.

I think I might like to take a course through UW Independent Learning. What should I do next?

Visit with an L&S Honors Advisor to discuss your interest. We will take time to talk through your DARS and outstanding requirements, discuss courses that you are considering taking, and chat about how the online course will help you meet your goals. If it makes sense to proceed, then we’ll help you choose a course and recommend that you make plans to sign up for the course. Once the course is finished and your final grade is posted, we’ll give you directions for transferring the credit back to UW-Madison. It is critically important that students considering taking courses elsewhere talk with an advisor before proceeding. There are requirements, such as the Senior Residency Requirement and the ratio of online to in-person courses that a visa-holding student is responsible for that, if overlooked, could delay a student’s progress towards graduation. We want to make sure that you have the support to make informed and positive decisions about your educational journey.