Online Enrollment for International Students
The OIA is aware that not all international students are able to obtain their F-1 visa in time to join the University in-person for the semester of their admission. Therefore, the OIA is pleased to offer the following information about beginning an academic program online, from abroad, as an international student. As no visa is required for online study from abroad, beginning an academic program online, from home, may be a viable option for some international students.
Students should note that if they begin their program online with the intention of completing the F-1 visa application process and joining the University for a future semester, they must defer their I-20. I-20 program dates must correspond to a student's semester of in-country enrollment.
Please note, doctoral students are encouraged to reach out to their respective College graduate office and/or academic advisor to discuss options regarding online enrollment. There exist significant considerations, which are specific to doctoral students, not discussed below.
(Last revised 06/11/2025)
FAQ for new international students considering online enrollment
The same qualified faculty who teach in our on-campus courses also teach our online sections. The course structure or deliverables may vary slightly in an online mode, but the same course learning objectives are met.
The University of Michigan-Dearborn is not new to teaching online. We have been doing so for almost 20 years.
There is no difference in the degree credential awarded for those degree programs approved by our accreditor to be completed fully online. The diploma and degree conferred online or in-person are the same.
The University of Michigan-Dearborn campus uses Canvas as its learning management system (LMS). Courses are accessed via this platform. More details can be found at Canvas for Students. We suggest closely reviewing the following areas of the webpage:
Our Digital Team has set up a to try out in-country, which can be accessed.
Online courses follow the same academic calendar as on-campus courses. Fall and winter terms are generally 15 weeks long. Course structure and requirements may vary by individual course. Each instructor will provide a course syllabus at the beginning of the term with all course assignments, deadlines, and grading weights itemized in detail.
This may vary by course. In the event that any additional materials would be needed, this would be itemized in the course syllabus. One can also check the to see if any specific additional books are itemized.
This may vary by individual course.
Each course instructor will determine the method(s) of assessment and that detail will be included in the course syllabus. Possibilities include, but are not limited to, take home exams, timed Canvas-based exams or, in some cases, paper/pencil proctored exams. Individual or group projects may also be used.
Faculty are guided to keep requirements for fully online courses asynchronous. Another guideline provided to faculty is to hold synchronous online office hours for online students. Most instructors will also answer questions asynchronously via Canvas conversations or email for those students who are unable to participate in the synchronous office hours.
This will vary from course to course. There might be group discussions, group presentations, group projects, etc. or no group work at all.
College of Business (COB) online courses typically involve some sort of group project, but it varies course by course, just as it does for a campus-based course. Regardless, interaction and discussions among students and with the professor are standard features of every online course in COB.
An example from a College of Engineering and Computer Science student: Group projects are an effective part of course work. A group project may consist of 30-40% (subjected to change) of weightage in a subject. Equal contribution of students is appreciated. You have to work in groups but in almost all cases, there will be a free hand to choose your group partners according to convenience.
Course content and learning objectives will be similar between the two formats, but the delivery method may look quite different. Each student may have a different response on which is more or less work depending on what they personally find more easy or difficult to digest and deliver on. To see if your personal profile might be well suited to online learning, consider taking the Student Readiness for Online Learning quiz and reviewing the success strategies itemized on the Canvas for Students webpage to maximize what you get out of the online learning environment. Some students may find they get more from an online course than an in-person course.
It may vary by course and will be itemized in the course syllabus. Online courses usually have different activities than in-class. The syllabus should always itemize the grading and provide a grade scale for the course. Online courses may have graded discussions, which can be a big difference from in-class courses.
Starting Online: Pros: Finish your program sooner, work advancement or new career path sooner, may cost less (living expense savings) Cons: have the full cultural immersion experience for less total time, some may not find the online learning environment to be a good fit for their personal circumstances (learning style, availability or cost of reliable internet service), uncertainty about when specifically one will be able to physically arrive on-campus
Deferring: Masters-level applications are generally valid for one academic year from your initial term of application. Please note, doctoral students are encouraged to reach out to their respective College graduate office and/or academic advisor to discuss their deferral options. If a change in start term is needed, a deferral request must be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies via the . All documents previously submitted will be transferred to the new term along with your admission if you are eligible for a deferral. If you choose to attend another university in the meantime, your application will require a second review by the Faculty Review Committee with official transcripts from that institution.
If you are in need of a student visa, a new I-20 will need to be issued for the term you plan to arrive on campus. Additional financial documentation may be required if materials on file are older than one year.