Independent Study Courses Online
Introduction: Courses offered through Independent Study are correspondence courses, whether you access the materials online or through the printed course guide mailed to your home. In either case, your course will likely require one or more textbooks or other course materials.
You can register for and start a course any business day of the year, except for University-observed holidays; Independent Study courses do not follow a term schedule. You have 12 months to complete the coursework and can purchase a six-month extension if you need more time. There is an additional distance learning fee to enroll in an online course. To select an online course, enter the distance learning fee in the right hand column of the registration form.
You complete the course work anywhere you want to (there are no classroom sessions), turn in assignments on your own schedule, and take exams when you are ready as long as you complete the coursework before the end of the term of enrollment. Click on How It Works on the left for details before registering for an online course offered through Independent Study .
The majority of Independent
Study college courses are available online. All online courses are listed
below. Click on the course link to access the course syllabus and a sample
lesson and assignment. Previewing this material can help you make the
right course selection.
Updates: Check this page periodically to see if the course you want has been added.
Page Navigation Links
| Online Course List | Technology Requirements |
| Benefits | Accessing Your Online Course |
| Preview Online Course Syllabi & Lesson |
- AJ 200 Section 217 Criminology and Criminal Justice
- AJ 210 Section 218 Introduction to Juvenile Justice Process
- AJ 420 Section 228 Criminal Law and Legal Reasoning
- AJ 440 Section 195 Constitutional Criminal Procedures
- AJ 460 Section 196 Court Procedures
- Ch 250 Section 240 Nutrition
- Ec 201, Section 208, Principals of Economics (Micro)
- Ec 202, Section 209, Principals of Economics (Macro)
- G 201, Section 212, Geology
- G 351 Section 199 Intro to Oceanography
- G 430 Section 138 Life of the Past
- G 453 Section 213 Geology of the Pacific Northwest
- Hst 101 Section 224 History of Western Civilizations I
- Hst 102 Section 225 History of Western Civilizations II
- Hst 103 Section 226 History of Western Civilizations III
- Hst 201 Section 180 History of the United States I
- Hst 202 Section 181 History of the United States II
- Mth 95 Section 191 Intermediate Algebra
- Mth 111 Section 235 Introductory College Mathematics I
- Mth 112 Section 236 Introductory College Mathematics II
- Mth 251 Section 202 Calculus I
- Mth 252 Section 216 Calculus II
- Psy 200, Section 233, Psychology as a Natural Science
- Psy 204, Section 234, Psychology as a Social Science
- Psy 311, Section 229, Human Development
- Psy 434, Section 214, Introduction to Psychopathology
- Soc 200 Section 158 Introduction to Sociology
- Stat 243 Section 220 Introduction to Probability and Statistics I
- Stat 244 Section 221 Introduction to Probability and Statistics II
- Wr 115, Sect 231, Intro to College Writing
- Wr 121, Sect 239, College Writing
- Wr 222, Section 173, The Research Paper
- Wr 323 Section 203 Writing as Critical Inquiry
Benefits: The Web option allows you to work online through the course Web pages or off-line by downloading and printing selected Web page files or printing the course pdf file which is a duplicate of the printed course guide materials. Some courses have interactive features, such as automatically scored self-tests that give immediate feedback on your performance.
Preview Online Courses: You can preview an online course syllabus and a sample lesson and assignment by clicking on the course in the list above. You will not be able to access the entire course until you register and get a login and password.
Technical Requirements for Participating in Independent Study Online Courses
To work effectively with your online course, you need to make sure you meet certain minimum computer hardware, software and Internet connection standards. Please consider the standards and information provided below. If you cannot meet these standards, we strongly suggest that you call us and request the print version of the course materials.
For information regarding WebCT, its basic technical requirements, and to properly configure your computer and Web browser, please visit the following website: http://extended.pdx.edu/distance/webct/
If you have additional questions regarding WebCT technical requirements, please contact the Portland State University Help Desk at 503-725-HELP or 1-800-547-8887, ext. HELP. Be sure to identify yourself as an Independent Study student.
If after reviewing
the instructions for logging on to your course, you encounter problems
that you cannot resolve by consulting the online documentation or the
Portland State University Help Desk, please call 503-725-4865 during working hours (M-F, 8 am-5 pm PT) or email xsis@pdx.edu.
Be ready to provide your name, student ID number, the course name and
number, and a detailed description of the problem you are encountering
before calling or emailing.
Once you are connected to the Internet and have configured your Web browser according to the directions provided above, you may access your course website by navigating to the Portland State University WebCT main page. The web address for this page is http://www.webct.pdx.edu.
On the far right in the Online Course Login area, enter your username and password into the fields provided. Click the Submit button.
You will be taken to your My WebCT homepage for all of the WebCT courses you are enrolled in through Portland State University and/or Independent Study. If you make a mistake, you will see a new screen with the same username and password entry form. If you are sure you have entered the information correctly, but keep getting the entry screen, give us a call or send us an email, and we'll try and solve the problem for you. For help call: 503-725-4865 or email xsis@pdx.edu.
Congratulations and good luck with your course!
