Navigating your Degree

Online Course Delivery

See below for more information regarding online course delivery:

• Each online course consists of a set of 15 weekly modules. All students enrolled in an online course complete all modules together on the same schedule. 

• Our online courses have both asynchronous (i.e., not live) components and synchronous (i.e. live at the same time) components: 

  • Asynchronous components: Online discussion posts and responses, short weekly reflection papers and other online assignments

  • Synchronous component: Students participate once a week in a 50 minute synchronous, “live” online chat session scheduled on Wednesdays from either 7:00-7:50pm CST or 8:00-8:50pm CST (depending on the course).  

Here is an example of the weekly format:

Students registered for courses in Parent and Family Education receive an email message from instructors approximately one week before the course begins. This message contains important information about the course, course readings/textbook, and useful information on learning online. Generally, course sites are open to students one week before the course begins. This offers students the opportunity to acquaint themselves with course content and become comfortable with the learning platform, and to be sure that their personal computer hardware and software are in sync with system requirements.

University Graduate Student Workload Expectations

Per the University's graduate school policy, one graduate credit represents three hours of academic work per week, averaged over the semester, in order to complete the work of the course to achieve an average grade. One credit equals 42 to 45 hours of work over the course of the semester (1 credit x 3 hours of work per week x 14 or 15 weeks in a semester = 42 to 45 hours of academic work). Thus, enrollment for a 3-credit course in a semester represents approximately 9-10 hours of work per week, depending on how the individual student's learning abilities and preferences. 

University Communications

The University provides students with an email account. All correspondence will be sent only to your U of MN email address.  Activate your email account and check your email regularly for official University communication.

To facilitate communication with students, the department uses a GoogleGroup (similar to a listserv). This GoogleGroup is used to distribute a monthly newsletter as well as other time-sensitive announcements. Please watch for the newsletter as it includes academic updates, news and events, professional development opportunities, and employment openings.

Technology We Use

Below is a list of important online platforms that are necessary for succeeding in our program. Bookmark these resources at the beginning of your degree so that you can find them when needed! 

• MyU (myu.umn.edu) - This portal is customized specific to your role at the University. MyU is where students access registration, academics, and financial aid and health benefits information. It’s also how students access Canvas (the platform that our program uses for courses) and your student Zoom account (which is associated with your UMN email address). 

• One Stop (https://onestop.umn.edu) - One Stop provides student information regarding registration, records, financial aid, billing, and payment. Students can connect with a One Stop counselor by phone, email, chat or meet via Zoom.

• The Graduate School 

• Office of Teacher Education (OTE) - OTE is the licensure office within the University of Minnesota’s College of Human Development (CEHD). OTE Provides leadership, guidance and support for licensure programs to ensure teacher candidates are meeting licensing requirements set by the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PESLB) 

• Dates and Deadlines (https://onestop.umn.edu/dates-and-deadlines)

Google Apps and your UMN Student Gmail Account

The University uses Google Apps for all programming and education services. Students can find out why the U chose Google, the suite of free services available and frequently asked questions regarding Google here.  In order to access all Google services, students need to log in using their UMN email account or by logging into their MyU (myu.umn.edu) account. Your University of Minnesota Google Apps account is totally separate from your personal Google/Gmail account. Your private account and institutional accounts will not merge. All correspondence will be sent only to your U of MN email address.  Activating your email account and checking your email regularly for official University communication is extremely important! 

Canvas

All Family Education courses are delivered through a software platform called Canvas (also referred to as a Learning Management System or LMS). Students registered for courses in Parent and Family Education receive an email message from instructors approximately one week before the course begins. This message contains important information about the course, course readings/textbook, useful information on learning online and instructions on when the course site will open. This offers students the opportunity to acquaint themselves with course content and become comfortable with the learning platform, and to be sure that their personal computer hardware and software are in sync with system requirements. 

Zoom

Our program uses Zoom as the primary online platform for meetings, advising appointments, and class live chat discussions. The University of Minnesota has a partnership with Zoom to provide every student with free access to Zoom. Students must be logged into their UMN account in order to use the free services offered by this partnership including unlimited meeting times, backgrounds, and access to Zoom cloud recordings, polls, and other reports. For information about the free services and how-tos associated with your UMN Zoom account, visit this webpage. 

Academic Support for Students

• GEAR 1 - (Graduate Education Resources for the First Year) is a collection of online modules that helps students navigate their first year of graduate education

• CEHD Career Services - Our college has services specifically for students going into the education field

• Access to the University Library - All U of MN students receive borrowing privileges automatically. Students can borrow materials using their U-Card (in-person) or access resources electronically with their internet ID by using the InterLibrary Loan system or  GetIt. Graduating students retain library access until the beginning of the next fall semester

  • UMN Library How-To Tutorials

  • Library privileges for alumni - MN residents have free access to eLibrary Minnesota. Graduates can also join the Friends of Libraries alumni association

• CEHD Career Counseling

• Academic Skills Courses and Counseling

• Self-help resources

• The UMN Center for Writing

Financial Aid and Department Funding Opportunities

Prospective and current students should reach out to One stop regarding estimating financial costs, financial aid opportunities, and billing any payment questions. Please know that our program staff cannot give you personalized advice regarding financing your degree as we do not have access to your financial account. Opportunities and rates change frequently and One Stop officers have access to the most up-to-date information. If you do not get the help you need, reach out to famed@umn.edu and we may be able to help direct you to the right department or person.

See our list of Departmental awards here.