**EOU Reduced Tuition for DDE Undergraduate Level Courses
beginning Fall 2007**
See new DDE Tuition Rates

Frequently Asked Questions

Collect as much information as you can from the DDE and EOU web pages and study the information packet. To request an information packet, fill out our Printed Materials Request form. Call (541) 962-3378 (in-state) or 1-800-544-2195 (out-of-state) or e-mail DDE with additional questions.
  • What is distance education? Distance education means that you don't need to come to campus to take courses or to obtain a degree. You can study at home on your own time schedule, or attend courses located throughout Oregon at our regional centers. You can also take courses from other accredited colleges and universities and then transfer them to Eastern Oregon University (but be sure that they fit into your Eastern Oregon University degree plan and fulfill EOU's requirements).

  • Are EOU's distance degrees accredited? Yes, Eastern Oregon University is accredited by the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities and is a member of the Oregon University System of public universities. The distance degrees are the same EOU degrees as those earned by on-campus students, with the same requirements, and are taught by EOU faculty.
  • Are distance courses and degrees transcripted differently? No, distance courses differ from on-campus courses only in the delivery modalities; they appear on your transcript with the same course numbers as do the on-campus courses. Diplomas for distance graduates are the same as those for on-campus students.
     
  • How do employers and graduate schools view distance courses and degrees obtained via distance education? Generally, with no distinction. Because the distance courses and degrees at EOU are accredited and taught by EOU faculty, they are fully acceptable to both employers and graduate schools. Distance education has become a widely accepted way to provide lifelong learning for adult students who are time-bound and/or place-bound, without access to campus programs.
     
  • How much does EOU charge for credits? EOU's DDE charges $135 per quarter credit hour for undergraduate courses and $275 per quarter credit hour for graduate courses. A semester credit hour equals 1.5 quarter credits; e.g., 3 semester credits would equal 1.5 x 3 or 4.5 quarter credit hours. EOU does not charge additional tuition or fees for out-of-state students. Most majors at EOU require about 60 quarter credits (that's equal to 40 semester credits). See the DDE Courses & Syllabi and Tuition and Fees web pages to check on the exact cost (tuition, plus fees) for any course that you want to take.
     
  • What is meant by lower division and upper division? Community College courses are lower division only, no upper division courses are offered at Community Colleges. Different colleges use different numbering systems to designate lower division and upper division courses; at EOU lower division courses are numbered 100-299, upper division are 300-499. Courses beginning with a 0 do not count toward graduation requirements (e.g. 040); courses beginning with 500 and above are graduate level courses that do not count toward a four-year Bachelor Degree.

 

  • Can I take distance education courses overseas? Not at this time. Eastern Oregon University's Division of Distance Education (DDE) offers a variety of accredited degree programs that enable you to learn anytime, anywhere in the fifty United States and Canada (excluding territories and possessions of the United States). Existing logistics prevent DDE from serving students who relocate either temporarily or permanently outside of these areas. DDE will allow enrollment of military personnel if they have regular access to the Internet and receive mail at an APO address. .
     
  • Do I have to be admitted to take a DDE Course? No, admission is not required to enroll for up to 8 quarter credits per term in courses. However, students must qualify for admission to EOU to pursue a degree program. Most students entering DDE degree programs enter as transfer students (to enter as a transfer student you must have earned at least 30 quarter credits from other colleges and universities and have an accumulative CPA of 2.25 or higher). Contact the Admissions office to get full information about admission requirements for transfer students. Be sure to identify yourself as a prospective distance education student. Distance degree students do not need to take the SAT or ACT exams to qualify for admission and transfer students do not need to submit High School transcripts if they graduated before 1997. Once you are admitted, you must take a course within a year to matriculate and confirm your admission; if you do not matriculate, you will need to reapply for admission.
     
  • Are distance students eligible to apply for financial aid? Yes, once admitted to EOU, distance students are able to apply their financial aid awards to their studies. Plan to apply for financial aid at the same time that you apply for admission. Contact the Financial Aid office to get full information. Reviews of financial aid applications by distance students are conducted by the same office that reviews applications for on-campus students; the same criteria for eligibility apply.
     
  • Will DDE advisers do pre-admission reviews of my transcripts so that I can know which courses to take and so that I can determine how many credits I will need to graduate from EOU? No, sorry, we receive too many inquiries to answer all the detailed transcript questions that students have unless they apply for admission and intend to pursue a degree from EOU. We've found that it is not really productive to provide informal reviews because the answers will be too sketchy. After you submit all your transcripts for evaluation with your admissions application you will receive an official evaluated transcript that can be used by you and your adviser to plan your studies. The evaluated transcript will show which of your courses transferred and will also show how your courses fit into EOU's General Education (GE) requirements.
  • How old can college credits be to be accepted as transfer credits? There is no age limit on acceptable college credits. Remember to submit ALL transcripts for evaluation from ALL institutions no matter how old they are. Request that the transcripts be sent directly to the Admissions Office at EOU; don't have transcripts sent to your home and then forwarded on to EOU. (Transcript Request Form.)
  • Will an associates degree from another state satisfy general education requirements at EOU? Unless you have an Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree, you will not automatically satisfy the General Education (GE) requirements at EOU. State public university systems vary somewhat in the requirements that they specify for GE. Usually some of your AA credits will satisfy some of EOU's GE requirements but not all of the requirements. Most credits from accredited colleges and universities will transfer (unless they are for remedial or vocational/technical courses) but you must obtain an evaluated transcript from EOU to know exactly how many credits of GE you will still need to graduate. (Some AA degrees from Washington state do fully transfer, check with Admissions.)
     
  • How many credits are needed for graduation and how long will it take me to graduate? A minimum of 180 quarter credit are needed for graduation (45 of those credits must be from EOU); usually approximately 60 credits are in General Education, 60 or more in the major, and 60 in electives, but these numbers vary somewhat from major to major. How long it will take to graduate can't be answered exactly until you and your adviser make a degree plan, using your evaluated transcript, when you attend in person or complete online a Degree Planning Workshop. Time to graduation depends upon how many credits you take per term, how many credits you transfer in to EOU, and how your transferred credits fit into EOU's requirements. All of these questions are worked out in the Degree Planning Workshop that you are eligible to take once admitted.
     
  • Is it possible to earn credit for knowledge gained through experience? By attending a 4 credit portfolio development class (APEL 390) and then preparing a portfolio of learning essays which are evaluated for credit by EOU faculty, students may earn up to 45 credits for prior experiential learning. Students have a year after taking APEL 390 to write and submit learning essays for credit evaluations. These credits can be in a variety of subject areas including Business and Communications. However, students should not consider using portfolio credits until after they take the Degree Planning Workshop and have worked out a degree plan with their adviser. Portfolio credits fit for some students but do not fit for others.
     
  • Do I need to have a computer and Internet access to take distance courses? You need to have both Internet e-mail and web browsing capabilities on your computer to communicate with the instructors, with other students, with your adviser, and to access online resources. Additionally, it is much more efficient to use the Internet to register for classes on Webster, print or download syllabi, and to order books and other materials from the bookstore online. All students in degree programs are expected to demonstrate computer literacy.

 

  • How do I register for courses? Online registration is available at EOU through WEBSTER. This method of registration gives you immediate confirmation that you're enrolled in the courses you want. Please view our How To Register web page for complete information that will help you obtain a Webster account and register for your courses. Registration timelines are listed at our DDE Dates & Deadlines web page. For courses requiring instructor approval, Registration and Reading & Conference forms are also available online so you can download and either fax (541-962-3627) or mail them to Eastern Oregon University, Division of Distance Education, One University Blvd., La Grande, OR 97850.

 

  • How do I start my DDE Course? Please view our web page on How To Start A DDE Course for complete information that will help you begin your courses.

 

  • My employer will pay for my courses. How do I notify EOU? When registering for your courses, please include information in the payment section regarding your employer. You can also contact the EOU Student Accounts office for further help.

 

  • How long do I have to complete my DDE Course? DDE courses follow the same 10 week quarter system as the on-campus university, with four quarters per year.  Most DDE courses must be completed within the 10 week quarter. Non-financial aid recipients may be eligible for a second (consecutive) quarter to complete the course.  Please carefully review the syllabus for each of your courses to determine which courses offer two quarters for completion.

 

 

Contact Information

Division of Distance Education

Eastern Oregon University

One University Blvd.

La Grande, OR 97850

Phone: 800-544-2195

Email: dde@eou.edu

Fax: 541-962-3627

top of page

 

Eastern Oregon University is a member of the Oregon University System

 

EOU Home | DDE Office