Academic questions about online learning
How do I get academic advising from a distance?
The Academic Coordinator for your program is the best person to help you develop a degree roadmap, monitor your progress, and make recommendations. He/she can provide advice on course selection, course equivalency substitutions, course prerequisites, academic requirements (university, school/college, department), and graduation checks. They will also advise you on University procedures, including registration and enrollment, transcript evaluation, fee payments, drop/add, incompletes, grade appeal, cancellation/withdrawal, and readmission.
Additionally, a professor or mentor will help you master course material in your online courses. In courses with smaller enrollments, the professor or instructor will be your immediate contact -- answering your questions about course content and course procedures through e-mail, phone, discussion boards, and other communication tools. In courses with larger enrollments, faculty members oversee mentors who will respond to all your queries and make frequent contact with you throughout the semester. Mentors are content experts who serve as learning guides and tutors, and are trained to motivate and monitor your progress.
How do I obtain my course materials?
The Missouri State University Bookstore should have the required textbooks as listed in your course syllabi statement.
If you order by mail or Include the following if ordering by mail or FAX:
- Course prefix and number (e.g., GEO 490)
- Section number (e.g., section 889)
- Course Title (e.g., Global Changes / Local Places)
- Semester and Year (e.g., Fall 2009)
How will I get library materials and use library resources from a distance?
Library Services for Distance Learners
Off-Campus Access to Licensed Databases
In order to access any of the library's licensed databases or electronic journals from off-campus, you must have a current Missouri State University Microsoft Windows account and password. The library uses a proxy server to verify your status at Missouri State before allowing access. Consult the library’s Off-Campus Access page for information about setting up an account.
The Computer Services Help Desk provides information and contacts for university computing resources, accounts, internet access, etc. which may be of interest to the remote user.
Interlibrary Loan Service for Distance Learners
This service allows distance learners to request copies of articles from magazines and journals not held in the Meyer Library print and microform collections. Please submit these requests from your Interlibrary Loan account.
Article Delivery Service for Distance Learners
This service allows distance learners to request copies of articles from magazines and journals held in the Meyer Library print and microform collections. You can identify journals in the Meyer Library collection by using the SWAN Library Catalog and its journal/magazine title search. Please submit these requests from your Interlibrary Loan account. Please submit these requests from your Interlibrary Loan account.
Most articles will be delivered to you electronically. The interlibrary loan office will notify you by email when your article is ready to download in your account. In some cases when electronic delivery fails, the article will be mailed to you. We will use the contact information, email address, and mailing address you supply in your Interlibrary Loan account.
Additional Resources
Library Access and Services for Distance Learning Students
Troubleshooting Off-Campus Access Problem
What if I am not a degree-seeking student and want to take online courses?
What happens if I apply too late to be fully admitted as a degree-seeking student, or perhaps I just want to try a course or two to see if I like online learning? You can register for many classes as a special student.
The academic department may permit a special student to transfer up to 15 undergraduate credit hours (those classes with a C or above) or up to 12 graduate credit hours (those classes with a B or above) into a degree program. The department and academic dean must approve the transfer of these hours into the degree program, however, so we recommend that you contact the departmental advisor before taking classes if you are considering this option. Keep in mind that some courses may be restricted to majors only.
If you are interested in finding out more about special student status, please contact the Missouri State Online office for further information.