About Distance Education at Carolina

What Distance Education Offers

While continuing to live and work in their hometown, adult learners can enroll in individual courses, certificates or degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Through online education, video-conferencing and face-to-face instruction in or near their homes, distance education students experience the same high quality instruction, demanding workload and spirited class discussion as students on the main campus.

For more information about the distance education experience, hear what our students have to say.

Undergraduate Distance Education Courses

Individuals interested in undergraduate courses may enroll in the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education in Carolina Courses Online or Self-Paced Courses Online. Carolina Courses Online are offered on a semester schedule. Class attendance is not required, but students communicate with classmates and their instructor via e-mail and discussion forums. Courses originate and credit is granted from UNC-Chapel Hill. In Self-Paced Courses Online students complete courses at their own pace, enroll at any time of year, and no class attendance is required.

For more information on classes through the Friday Center, visit our Programs and Courses area .

Graduate and Professional Degrees

Individuals interested in graduate and professional degrees may enroll in a wide range of nationally ranked graduate and professional certificates through the Schools of Education, Information and Library Science, Journalism, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and the Department of Allied Health Sciences in the School of Medicine.

For more information on graduate and professional programs, visit our Programs and Courses area .

University Resources for Distance Education Students

Distance students use the university's full resources, including the libraries, the Writing Center and technology support. Many courses are identical to those taught in Chapel Hill and are taught by the same outstanding faculty. In other cases, faculty and the instructional support team design courses specifically for distance education programs. The quality instruction, the program content and the support services engage students as they enroll and complete their academic work. The process links students not only to their particular program, but to the whole university.

For more information on distance education student resources, visit our Current Student Support and Resources area .

How To Use This Site:

Depending on whether you are a prospective student, a current distance education student, or a faculty member involved or interested in distance education, this site provides specific, tailored information and links about Distance Education at Carolina.

Prospective students will find videos of distance education students talking about their experience at Carolina, a FAQs listing answers to common questions, and information on preparing for the GRE. See the For Prospective Students area of the navigation bar for more information.

Current students will find resources to help them succeed in distance education courses, including a first steps list for getting started, a list of support options and resources, and a FAQs list for common questions. See the For Current Students area of the navigation bar for more information.

Faculty members already teaching or interested in teaching online can use this site as a reference for their distance education resources, including a FAQs list for common questions and information about and links to support options. See the For Faculty area of the navigation bar for more information.