Online Learning

Online learning provides students with flexible and convenient opportunities to earn degrees while also balancing work, family, military service, and community responsibilities. MUIH’s online learning options provide individuals from across the U.S. and internationally with access to degrees in integrative health fields which are not commonly available at other colleges and universities. MUIH has offered online courses and programs since 2013. Roughly 60% of its students are enrolled solely in online courses and an additional 27% take at least one online course. MUIH offers programs and courses in the online, hybrid, and on-campus formats. Online courses and programs are ones in which all in-person instruction is replaced with online instruction. Hybrid courses and programs are ones in which some instruction occurs online and some occurs in person on campus.

The Benefits of Being an Online Learner

Over six million students in the U.S. take at least one online credit-bearing course each year. If they can do it, so can you! Students studying online can have the same rewarding and successful learning experience as students who study on-campus, they just do and achieve it in different ways. Online learners often report that they appreciate being able to experience a sense of empowerment in their learning, create a flexible and individualized study schedule, receive personalized communication and feedback from their faculty, and the opportunity to get to know a diverse range of classmates. Our students and alumni report how much they appreciate the opportunity to learn from students who are local and who live around the world.

Online Classroom

MUIH’s online and hybrid courses are offered using the Canvas learning management system. Canvas is a course management system that provides a structured, organized, and self-contained online learning environment and is used by colleges and universities all over the world. At MUIH, each online Canvas classroom provides students with the syllabus, learning materials, activities, and assignments needed for success. It provides various means to communicate and engage with the faculty member and fellow students, submit assignments and receive faculty feedback and grades, and access other supportive learning resources and services. Some on-campus classes use a Canvas classroom to supplement and support learning. Students gain access to their Canvas classrooms seven days before the start of the course, allowing advance time to review the syllabus and plan ahead.

Online Course Quality

Online and hybrid courses are held to the same rigorous graduate and professional standards and have the same learning outcomes as on-campus courses. Students taking online and hybrid courses receive the same quality instruction, mentoring, and interaction with highly qualified faculty as they would in an on-campus course. For example, instead of discussing lecture topics, engaging in small group work, or giving a presentation synchronously (in real-time) in an on-campus classroom, these same activities occur asynchronously within the online Canvas classroom mediated by technology. Videos and various interactive media enable students to learn in a number of different ways and review the material more than once. A degree earned online from MUIH carries the same prestige and credibility as a degree earned on campus. There is no distinction on the MUIH transcript between online and on-campus courses and programs.

Online Course Rigor

Online and hybrid courses expect and require the same commitment, rigorous graduate-level work, and time as on-campus courses. For example, students enrolled in a 3-credit didactic (lecture) course that is 14 weeks long should expect to spend at least nine hours per week on the course, regardless of whether it is taken in the online, hybrid, or on-campus format. Students are expected to have active, consistent, and timely engagement in online and hybrid courses and to participate in the course’s academically related activities.

Online Course Schedules

Online courses have specific start and end dates and adhere to the University’s academic calendar. Online courses have a structured weekly schedule and specific due dates. Most online courses are conducted asynchronously (not in real time), but are structured by a course schedule and specific due dates. Students can work on their courses on days and times that suit their schedule while also adhering to the due dates specified in the syllabus. Some courses require synchronous (real-time) participation on specific days and times; these online or phone meetings, lectures, or other learning experiences are designed to support the unique learning objectives of the course. Typically, synchronous experiences are provided at multiple times and/or at times that the class has agreed upon; such experiences are often archived for students’ viewing at a later time.

Attending Class On Campus

Students enrolled in online programs are welcome to take classes on-campus based on schedules and availability; note that not all courses are offered in all formats. Students enrolled in hybrid programs and courses are required to come to campus for some of their courses, either partially or wholly.

Technology Skills

If you can browse and use the internet, use email, or shop online you’ll likely be quite comfortable with online courses in Canvas. Many students have told us that, after just a few days, they’ve mastered the simple processes needed to be successful. MUIH provides 24/7/365 dedicated online support for Canvas users so help is available whenever you request it.

Support for Online Learning

MUIH provides a variety of support services for students enrolled in online and hybrid courses and programs including technical support, academic advising, academic success support, tutoring services, disability services, library services, and the full range of additional and other student resources.

Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid

Tuition and fees are the same regardless of whether a course is taken in the online, hybrid, or on-campus format. Tuition and fees for all courses and programs are provided here. Financial aid eligibility is generally the same regardless of whether a course is taken in the online, hybrid, or on-campus format. Students interested in applying financial aid to online and hybrid courses are advised to consult with the Office of Financial Aid regarding their particular circumstances.

Identity and Privacy

MUIH takes seriously our responsibility to ensure the integrity of our learning environment and protect the privacy of our student and faculty data and academic information. MUIH employs a variety of strategies to do this. To ensure security, login to Canvas uses a single sign-on protocol and requires the use of your MUIH email and password. To further verify student identity within Canvas classroom MUIH deploys the Canvas Authentication Tool; this tool is used only to authenticate your identity for course assignments. No student responses to authentication questions are ever stored or shared with any organization, firm, or institution, whether private or public.

Out of State Restrictions

Maryland University of Integrative Health is restricted in the online and hybrid courses and programs into which it can enroll individuals who reside in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, or Wisconsin. Individuals residing in these states are encouraged to review the information on the out of state authorization for online education page and to contact MUIH’s Office of Admissions at 410-888-9048 extension 6647 or  to discuss and understand their enrollment options. State restrictions do not apply to non-credit online and hybrid Professional and Continuing Education courses and other events.

You Too Can be a Successful Online Learner

Successful online learners adopt these key strategies approaches:

  • Persistence – Successful online learners tolerate and work through technical problems, ask for help when needed, and work on their courses every day.
  • Resilience – Successful online learners adopt a positive attitude and strategies to weather challenges and bounce back from them quickly.
  • Engagement – Successful online learners stay involved in their courses and connected to the online classroom, faculty member, fellow students, and university on an ongoing basis.
  • Time Management – Successful online learners make room in their personal schedule for course work, take note of course due dates and any scheduling conflicts, and plan ahead and start their course work early.
  • Self-Motivation – Successful online learners develop personal goals and personalized approaches to meet course requirements and achieve success.