Online Degrees FAQ

Common factors for considering online graduate education include:

• Already having a permanent position
• Family and community commitments
• Seasonal commitments
• Flexibility to take courses that fit into a busy schedule

The College of Natural Resources has been serving the Pacific Northwest for 100 years. Our teaching and research programs are regularly ranked in the top five for natural resources disciplines and faculty are respected leaders in their field of research.

Yes. We describe this as a “place-based” graduate degree. The faculty in partnership with regional organizations supports opportunities for place-based thesis or non-thesis research. Place-based graduate students conduct novel research within their local regions and in many cases continue to work with their current employer.

The key features of a place-based graduate program is that students have a local committee member that meets College of Graduate Studies requirements, conduct locally relevant research, and take online or other distance education courses.

Yes. Online thesis students are eligible for Research Assistantships when working with faculty that have agreed that their research program can be completed at a distance. Also, for students working within the forestry industry, the College of Natural Resources has partnered with the Forest Biometrics Research Institute (FBRI) to provide competitive fellowships for on-campus students and scholarships to place-based graduate students.

Yes, our Master’s and Doctorate degrees are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

No. Requirements for online degrees are identical to on-campus degrees. The only difference is that students take online versions of the courses.

Each year we create a prospectus that outlines all of our online programs and available courses. You can view this prospectus online, or you can request a print version be mailed to your address. You can also view a list of our available online courses.

If you are enrolled in the Master of Natural Resources, you will directly work with the Program Director, Dr. Leda Kobziar to identify a graduate advisor. If you are enrolled in the online Masters in Environmental Science Program, the CNR graduate studies office will work with you to identify a graduate advisor.

Conditionally, yes. With graduate committee/departmental approval, up to 12 approved credits may be applied toward a Master’s degree and 30 credits toward a Doctoral degree at the University of Idaho. Students may be charged additional part-time graduate fees when the past credits are included in their study plans.

This varies and depends on the student and the complexity of any research being conducted. A graduate student can enroll in up to 16 credits per semester. A master’s degree requires 30 credits and can be completed in a minimum of two semesters provided the maximum 12 credits are transferred into the program. A doctoral degree requires 78 credits and can be completed in a minimum of three semesters provided the maximum 30 credits are transferred into the program. All graduate students must register for at least one research (or non-thesis research) credit the semester they defend.

Yes. Links to the course syllabus, or a course website containing a syllabus, are posted for most courses before the semester begins. Simply email the CNR Graduate Studies Office and they can contact the department that teaches the course for more information.

Canvas is the University of Idaho's online course management system used to help provide supplemental course material to students. If your course has a Canvas component, it will be listed on the course syllabus, course website, or course description. You can access Canvas HERE and login using your VandalID and password. If you are still unsure, contact the instructor directly. Please note that it takes about a day between registering for a course and having access to it on Canvas.

Students at the University of Idaho taking online courses are charged resident (in-state) tuition provided they only register for online courses (this includes 500, 599, and 600 research credits) regardless of their place of residence. Please see Student Accounts for more information on the per course and per semester cost. 

Please note, if you are not an Idaho resident registering for an on-campus course will lead to you being charged non-resident tuition for that and all other courses that semester. A web fee ($35) per credit will be charged for all online courses. Additional course fees may apply. Distance education courses offered via Engineering Outreach include an additional fee.

Once you are ready to apply, please visit the program at the graduate admissions website. Each program has its own application requirements.

Once you are admitted to the graduate program, you will need to check the Course Schedule for available courses each semester. Once you find the course you are looking for, make a note of the Course Registration Number (CRN). When you have the CRN numbers of each course you are interested in, visit VandalWeb to register.

Login to VandalWeb by entering your NetID and password and clicking the Login button. If you are a new user, visit Vandal Setup to activate your account. Users needing assistance with their login should contact the OIT Help Desk. There are registration deadlines each semester; VandalWeb will not allow registration actions beyond the noted deadlines.

If you need information on how to add, drop or withdraw from courses Click Here.

As a graduate student, you may come across a course that states Instructor Permission Required. Typically, undergraduate prerequisites are required, or the course may have reached its enrollment cap. The solution is simple: Email the course instructor and ask for a Registration Override. 

This is a very common request and the instructor will be happy to do it provided they have room in the course. Once you get a confirmation from the course instructor you will be able to register. Please note that for graduate courses, only the instructor of record can process a Registration Override.

Email the CNR Graduate Studies Office and we will help you schedule a phone call or video-conference call with your advisor.

Yes. All official communications is through VandalMail. The College of Natural Resources also sends all communications to students' VandalMail addresses.

Yes. Access to the library’s subscriptions databases is available at no cost to all graduate students.

Yes. You can choose to opt out of receiving further notifications regarding the Moscow campus or other branch locations. If you would prefer not to receive any ENS announcements, log in to VandalWeb and make changes under the Emergency Notification System folder.

Yes. You can enroll as a non-degree seeking student at any time, while you’re working on your application, or just to get your feet wet.  The applicable credits you earn may then be transferred into your graduate degree program.

Yes. The requirements for an I-20 as an on-campus student only are that at least 2/3rds of your courses are face-to-face. As such, you can only take a maximum of 1/3rd of your courses as online courses.

If you need any questions answered, please email the CNR Graduate Studies Office and we will do our best to help you.