University of Illinois at Springfield

I cannot express how happy I found the UIS online degree program. I decided to go back to school for the 4th time in my mid-forties and finally get my bachelors degree. I've tried several different programs with different schools over the last 20 years and was never successful in balancing a full time job with schoolwork. UIS has created the perfect program for working adults. It is challenging enough to keep learners engaged while offering the convenience that working adults require to get it done.... Read More Their teachers and advising staff is always available when needed and they do a fantastic job of presenting the material in a way that is easy to understand for remote learners. If you're looking for an accredited university with reasonable tuition that offers an online program that is both challenging and convenient I would highly recommend UIS.

I greatly appreciated University of Illinois, Springfield in that this institution allowed me hold a full-time teaching job while pursuing my second undergraduate degree, online. While it was sometimes challenging to achieve thorough and timely communication with instructors (all communication is done via email), I believe that the pros definitely outweighed the cons. I was able to study on my own time, and was never required to be physically present for any classes. Since I worked two jobs during... Read More a majority of my time with UIS, this was the only way I could keep both of my positions and earn a second degree. Taking classes online improved my email etiquette and computer literacy. It also required me to have academic discipline and a lot of self motivation. I was able to pickup my laptop and "attend school" from anywhere! Whether I had a spare minute during lunch, or was home for the weekend visiting my family, I could read through my e-textbooks, consult my online notes, and submit my assignments via blackboard. Something else to be aware of is that most of your exams will need to be officially proctored. I was fortunate enough to live near a community college that provided exam proctoring services for a reasonable fee ($25 an hour).

The math degree at UIS was definitley doable. I think that the program provided clear to understand notes that are easily accessible online. I loved my professors and it felt like they were always available to talk or when I had questions. The program was clearly laid out and defined so that you could graduate in time. I remember that there were a couple of different routes that you could take when completing your undergraduate degree. You have the option to major in Statistics, or a more general... Read More pure math track. I chose to do the statistics track because it is more applicable in the work force. Statistics is a field that can be used in almost any discipline and it is not going away any time soon. Pure math is fine, but I am not so sure that it has the vast array of application that statistics does. The program that I went through allows you to be educated enough to be able to pass the Actuary exams. The math on the Actuary exams have material that you learn in the Mathematical Staitistics courses. In those courses, you learn how to derive the confidence interval formulas and gain a foundation for hypothesis testing. I believe that the program was worth it, and it also doesnt hurt to try to transfer over courses. UIS was traditionally a transfer college and just more recently became a four year University. The amount of classes that you can transfer over is much better than most other colleges that I have experiences. I am glad that I went to UIS and wouldnt have gone to another college because of my experience and the ease of transfer of the classes. I also apprecaited how the graduation requirements were clearly laid out from the beginning of the program.

I was enrolled in the 100% online bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in "Literary Studies." I thoroughly recommend this program to anyone interested in studying English. It was thorough in that I had the opportunity to study not only the classics but also more modern works from all different cultural backgrounds. I read and wrote about authors from China, Africa, Japan, France, Sweden, Norway, England, Denmark, India, Pakistan, and many other places. This multi-cultural education expanded... Read More my knowledge of literature and of the world outside my front door. I had the distinct pleasure of working with Dr. D to present at STARS a student research symposium. It was a wonderful experience and Dr. D was with me every step of the way encouraging me and offering me feedback that really challenged my way of thinking and opened my eyes to new perspectives. The students that I interacted with online were anywhere between eighteen and fifty-five years of age and I loved the diversity. Coming from all different backgrounds, each of us had something unique to say about the reading we had been assigned. These differences in opinion helped us all step out of ourselves and think more broadly about a subject and what that subject might mean to others. Overall, the professors were helpful, kind, and provided useful feedback. The online environment seemed to very conducive to honest discussion and allowed all the students to work around their own schedule. This is the perfect school and the perfect program for anyone passionate about learning and improving themselves. I grew as person through this program and I would be delighted if I could go back and do it all over again.