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Course Delivery Options

Instructional Sessions

SIRLS offers classes during all instructional sessions of the university, as described below:

• fall semester, usually 14-15 weeks, from mid-August to mid-December
• winter session, usually 3-4 weeks, from mid-December to mid-January
• spring semester, usually 14-15 weeks, from mid-January to mid-May
• pre-session, usually 4 weeks, from mid-May to mid-June
• summer I, usually 4-5 weeks, from mid-June to mid-July
• summer II, usually 4-5 weeks, from mid-July to mid-Augus

Modes of Course Delivery

SIRLS courses are delivered in several modes of delivery, spread over the university's instructional sessions:

• Campus-based courses
• semester-long, face-to-face courses, meeting once a week in the late afternoon or evening on the Tucson campus
• week-long intensive courses, meeting every day for 5-7 days, with homework in the evening, and requiring some combination of pre- or post-work, depending on the course or the instructor; most week-long courses meet in Tucson; an occasional week-long course is scheduled in Phoenix
• Virtual courses
  • Virtual courses meet online in an online course environment. As of fall 2005, SIRLS primary online course environment is Desire to Learn (D2L), the primary environment supported by The University of Arizona. Some instructors, however, use other environments as a primary or supplementary environment. Instructors also vary in their requirements for asynchrous (log-in anytime) participation or synchronous (required login times for class “meetings”).
  • Beginning in 2006, all newly admitted students will be required to take IRLS 504 which will contain a virtual, D2L component to introduce students to online course software. Information on D2L, including login instructions, tips, and troubleshooting is available through the UA D2L support website.
  • Virtual courses run over fall and spring semester, and over summer sessions I and II.
  • Syllabi for virtual courses identify the online course environment and requirements for participation. It is the student’s responsibility to identify the course environment and requirements for each class.
  • For more information on virtual courses, see Distance and Virtual Learning.
• Hybrid classes
  • Hybrid classes combine face-to-face class meetings with extended participation of projects, often virtual, after the face-to-face meetings. SIRLS hybrid classes meet typically over three weekends, with pre- and post- work depending on the course and the instructor. Most hybrid classes meet in Tucson, with occasional hybrid classes in Phoenix.

Scheduling of Instructional Sessions and Course Delivery Modes

SIRLS strives for balance in offering course delivery modes over the fall and spring semesters, and to a lesser extent, over instructional sessions. Typically, all-virtual classes are offered in the fall and spring semesters, and across summer I and II. Virtual courses are usually not offered in winter and pre-session because of the compressed time frame. The Graduate College and SIRLS limit the number of courses students may take in winter and pre-session to 1 in each session, again because of the compressed time frame.

Instructional sessions year-round and course delivery options offer both students in Tucson and those living at a distance flexibility in pursuing their graduate degree. All course delivery options are open to all students, regardless of geographical location. SIRLS attempts to balance the offering of course delivery options to meet student demand, but not every delivery option can be available every instructional session.