Information for Students Enrolled in Distance Education Courses
Saint Louis University is committed to supporting distance education and the success of students enrolled in distance education courses and programs.
Students enrolled in SLU online receive the same quality education and access to services as in-person students. The Distance Education Office works to ensure that all distance education courses align with the Higher Learning Commission's best practices for distance education.
Benefits of distance education include:
- Flexibility
- Convenience
- Networking
This page is a gateway to resources to prepare students for online courses, to services and resources available to online students, and to technology information and support.
About Distance Education at SLU
Online courses at SLU are designed around our Essential Features of a Jesuit Distance Education: presence, interaction, inclusion, community, transparency, equity, reflection, structure and support. Courses undergo peer review by trained faculty for alignment with quality assurance standards every five years and are centered around regular and substantive interaction between faculty and students. Online courses and programs meet the same academic standards as those in-person.
Even though you are not on campus, you will regularly interact with both your instructor and classmates. This interaction may occur in written form (over email or discussion boards), on Canvas, or by video conferencing. Most of our online courses are asynchronous, meaning the class is self-paced within a set of due dates, and run in Canvas, our learning management system. Some distance programs have courses that meet synchronously online, with dedicated times for live class sessions. Any course with required synchronous meetings will include class meeting days and times with the course registration information.
Information for Enrolling in Online Courses or Programs
- For more information on course offerings and scheduling, visit Saint Louis University Course Search.
- If you are a traditional undergraduate student at SLU registering for a course in the School for Professional Studies and need assistance, please contact the School for Professional Studies at 314-977-2330 or [email protected] and an SPS adviser will assist you.
- Visit the Summer and Extended Studies webpage for information on taking online courses during summer or winter sessions.
If you decide to enroll in an online course or program, be sure to take advantage of available student resources. You can find more information at Support for Online Learners.