Virtual Vermont

UI&U’s Bachelor of Arts Program offers an exciting alternative in the world of online learning. In Virtual Vermont, you participate in a 12-day virtual residency where you view faculty and graduate presentations, participate in study exploration sessions, and much more. The best thing is, it’s asynchronous, so you can sign on when it’s convenient for you!

Make it Your Own

Study what interests you! In the UI&U B.A. program, you work with faculty to design a personalized study plan in your discipline. For
example, study Writing & Literature through memoir writing, or conduct a study on 21st century poets. Or approach Environmental Studies by
exploring toxicity issues in your own community, or explore Education by examining your local school system. The possibilities are endless! That’s why at UI&U, we consider your educational experience a journey.

Areas of Concentration

Choose from one of the following areas of study:

• Psychology and Human Development
• Writing and Literature
• The Arts
• Historical, Social & Cultural Studies
• Women’s Studies/ Gender Studies
• Religion, Spirituality & Holistic Studies
• Environmental Studies
• Education Studies
• Thematic Studies
• Teacher Licensure

Your Degree

The strength of a liberal arts education is that you get to dig beneath the surface of your study. You learn not only the how but the why. A liberal arts education strengthens lasting skills, such as writing, critical thinking, thoughtful, reflective reading, and the ability to learn independently. For these reasons the UI&U Bachelor of Arts degree is especially attractive to graduate schools and employers. The Virtual Vermont option will ensure that you are broadly and generously educated. The degree criteria are satisfied through study projects and seminars, appropriate learning from approved transfer credit, and carefully evaluated advanced standing options.

The BA Faculty

Drawing from the Oxford mentorship tradition, our faculty members are deeply involved in the work of each student. The faculty expertise covers a broad spectrum of academic interests, and faculty members will have a variety of expertise, often holding degrees in multiple disciplines. Our faculty have decades of experience helping learners design interdisciplinary topics that can translate your career interests into meaningful academic work.

Have you ever wondered about the role of art in the life of a business enterprise, or considered how critical questions in cultural identity are part of education, or where concepts of adolescent psychology are evident in literature? The “magic” of the UI&U Bachelor of Arts experience is that all of these fields can influence and expand your knowledge of the concentration that interests you.

Developing Your Semester’s 15-credit Study Plan

Study exploration sessions are at the heart of the study planning process. You will discuss your ideas
in small groups, each composed of one faculty member and several other learners. You will be encouraged to ask yourself questions such as “What are my real passions?” and “How might I aim towards a new career?” or “What will prepare me to be a writer?” Learners and faculty work together to develop ideas, because everyone has a unique perspective he or she can bring to each subject. You will create a bibliography and a focus for each of your monthly packets. While you develop your study plan, you will also begin to consider which faculty
with whom you might work.

The Technology

Being able to adapt to new learning environments and technology and having a positive attitude about new learning experiences will help you take full advantage of the online environment. All UI&U learners are required to have the basic technology skills and resources. To help students reach proficiency, our Instructional Technology department is available to assist all learners with acquiring and using technology effectively. There will be an orientation to all the technology Resources and web services at the beginning of your Virtual Vermont online residency.

College Life in Cyberspace

The Virtual Vermont 15-credit semester begins with a 12-day online residency experience that introduces you to faculty, other learners and the structure of the BA program. It is at this online residency that you create, with your faculty mentor, the individualized study plan which you’ll undertake for the semester. This study plan takes the place of traditional classes. Your learning community is established during the online residency through chat rooms, threaded discussion groups, online presentations, and more. Following the residency, you will have regular contact with your faculty mentor as you submit your work and engage in rigorous dialogue around your academic subject. Each semester ends with a 3-day virtual follow-up residency, where you have the opportunity to reconnect with your peers and faculty. Throughout your program you’ll have access to all student services, including financial aid, the library, and technical and academic support.

Learner Services

Library Support

You don’t have to ever set foot on campus to enjoy the benefits of library support—we’ll bring the library to you! The Gary Library specializes in assistance to students pursuing learner-designed study projects and supports learners at a distance. The library maintains high-quality print and non-print research collections and provides document delivery services and bibliographical instruction, including access to a variety of online research databases and reference resources.

For more information on the Bachelor of Arts, or any UI&U program, call our admissions office at 888-828-8575 and speak to one of our enrollment counselors.Instructional Technology

The department of Instructional Technology was created to serve the technology needs of UI&U faculty and learners. IT provides support in learning new technology tools and software, using technology in a course or seminar, and using eCollege tools.