UIU educational centers and distance education provide off-campus learning opportunities for students everywhere. Our growing number of education centers—including several on military bases -- are currently located in Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, and Wisconsin. We also have international centers in Malaysia and Hong Kong. Global access is available through our distance education programs, which include online and independent study courses.
If you will be earning your degree through one of these modalities, you will be part of our Academic Extension (AE) program and should follow the AE catalog and requirements.
Upper Iowa University online offers 17 majors in post-secondary degree programs to learners worldwide as well as five certificate programs and three master’s degree programs. Not all majors are offered at all locations. Please visit our Academic Extension centers’ webpages to learn more detailed information about a location near you. And if your location doesn’t include the academic program you want, make sure to check out the Upper Iowa distance education program to find out whether your courses can be taken online or through independent study.
UIU educational centers in the United States and UIU online programs require students to have graduated from a regionally accredited and/or state-recognized public or private high school or to have successfully completed your GED. For online programs, Upper Iowa requires at least a 2.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for any previous college course work.
Credit for Your Experience
UIU also offers credit for your experience through the Experiential Learning Portfolio. The process helps determine learners' achievements and demonstrated learning outcomes. Learners can earn up to 30 semester credits for prior learning experience. Contact your academic advisor for information on the guidelines and procedures.
Because the documentation process required of you is extensive, and since the evaluation of this documentation by UIU staff demands considerable time, you must be accepted for admission and registered for at least one course through Upper Iowa University before you may apply for experiential learning credit.
Fees for experiential learning credit granted are assessed at $60 per semester credit.
Credit for Training and Military
You can also earn credit for training you have completed in law enforcement or fire science training as well as for military and other formal training.
Learners may submit documentation of training completion in law enforcement or fire science to Upper Iowa University for evaluation, with a one-time evaluation fee of $200. Consult your academic advisor for further information. A maximum of 30 semester credits can be earned through a combination of portfolio and law enforcement/fire science credits.
Credit for military and other formal training with recommendations by the American College on Education (ACE) guidelines will be transcripted at no charge. Training completed may be verified by an official AARTS, CCAF, or SMART transcript, DD214, DD295, or copies of certificates; a portfolio is not required. Up to 78 lower division semester credits and an additional 12 upper division semester ACE evaluated military credits may be transferred for a maximum of 90 semester credits toward the 120 semester credits required for graduation.
ACE-recommended military credits and other credits for your experience that are accepted by UIU do not reduce the minimum required 30 semester credits of course work through Upper Iowa University for a bachelor's degree. Experiential learning credits do not apply to the 60 graded credits needed to graduate with magna or summa cum laude honors. Experiential learning credit, awarded as upper division credit, may be used to satisfy the upper division credit requirement for graduation. Education course credits may not be earned through experiential learning.
UIU may accept CLEP credits to meet your general education requirements if your test scores are within the levels recommended by the American College on Education (ACE). Generally, you can receive the following credits by examination:
- English Composition with Essay Exam – satisfy English Composition requirement
- Humanities Exam – satisfy Arts and Humanities requirement
- Mathematics Exam – satisfy Mathematics requirement
- Natural Science Exam – satisfy Natural Science requirement
- Social Sciences and History Exam – satisfy Social Sciences requirements
In addition, credit may be earned through CLEP subject examinations in widely taught undergraduate courses. A score at the ACE recommended level or above will earn credit in that area. Subject examinations through the DANTES and/or ACT-PEP testing programs are also recognized on the same basis. If you wish to take an examination to earn credit at Upper Iowa University, consult the Registrar.
Articulation and Corporate Agreements
UIU has articulation agreements with many community colleges to make it easier to transfer your community college credits to count toward our majors. Several companies also have educational agreements with UIU through the Corporate Advantage program. Their employees enjoy benefits, including tuition discounts.
The UIU academic schedule may vary by center, so please check out details for the center in which you are interested. Distance education and independent study programs offer open enrollment so that you can enroll at any time and study at your pace.
Admission to UIU is not required to enroll in independent study courses. Enrollment in an Independent Study Program course(s) does not constitute admission to UIU.