New Big Ten course-sharing program offers free academic opportunities for students
Program adds educational opportunities for students during COVID-19 crisis
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Tom Rinderle Ohio State News contributor |
Starting today, undergraduate students at The Ohio State University can add a free online course for the upcoming semester from one of six other Big Ten universities.
“The course-sharing program offers new possibilities for our students to expand their horizons at no additional cost,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Bruce A. McPheron. “It’s an outstanding example of the collaboration and synergy of the Big Ten Academic Alliance.”
The participating institutions, all part of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, developed the course-sharing program to enhance educational opportunities for students during the COVID-19 crisis. The program will be available for the autumn and spring semesters of the 2020-21 academic year.
The program allows any full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate at one of the seven participating Big Ten universities to take an online course from another participating university without paying additional tuition and fees. Ohio State students can take courses from:
- Indiana University
- University of Maryland
- Michigan State University
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Pennsylvania State University
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick
“Big Ten universities compete on the field, but until this fight is won, we are united in the critical research to battle this virus — and united in the classroom,” said the chair of the Big Ten Academic Alliance board, Lauren Robel, who is also Indiana’s provost and executive vice president.
For its contributions, Ohio State is offering 23 online courses from eight colleges, including classes in art education, chemistry, communications, entomology, environmental science, health and rehabilitation science, nursing, pharmacy, public affairs and social work.
The Big Ten Academic Alliance is an academic collaborative of the 14 universities comprising the Big Ten Conference. Since 1958, these world-class institutions have advanced their academic missions, generated unique opportunities for students and faculty, and served the common good by sharing expertise, leveraging campus resources and collaborating on innovative programs. The number of Big Ten universities participating in the course-sharing program will vary by semester based on a number of factors.
More information is available on the Big Ten Academic Alliance Online Course Sharing page.
What Ohio State students need to know
- A list of program courses and university enrollment deadlines can be found at the Available Courses & Information page. Please note that the registration window varies by school.
- Students can register for a course at the Application Process page. Click the blue “Verify Eligibility” button, select Ohio State as your home institution, then enter the system using your OSU login credentials. From there, students can proceed to the participating institution of their choice to begin the registration process for their chosen course.
- Students who participate in the program may be required to buy books, software or other supplies related to the course. Only one program course per semester may be taken, and students will not have their tuition and fees waived if they enroll in a course from their home institution. Program courses cannot be used to establish full-time enrollment status.
- Ohio State students who wish to have the courses recorded in their academic record must request to have the credit transferred using the university’s standard procedures. It is the sole responsibility of students to determine whether the courses in the program will transfer to Ohio State or be applicable to any particular graduation requirement.
- For more information, refer to the FAQ page.
