It’s that time of year again—class registration. The panicked feeling of ‘what if I can’t get the class I need’ is among us. The tossing and turning at night, hoping you’ll be able to select courses that tailor to your intricate and complicated life.

The University of Utah’s online degree program is now helping students alleviate much of that stress by offering degrees that require no in-person presence.

Typically, the U requires a certain amount of classes to be taken on campus, specifically when it comes to general education courses. Now, a program called ‘Block U,’ has been implemented which allows students to earn their entire degree, including general courses along with certain majors, fully online.

“Currently, the [online] classes are available to any current University of Utah Student,” says Cory Stokes, the associate dean of University Information Technology and Director for UOnline.

Perhaps, students who are having a difficult time and maybe they’re unable to take the classes they need — due to work or other conflicting scheduling issues — to finish their degree, UOnline provides a means for students to take the required courses so that they are able finish their degree, and at their own pace.

This is also beneficial for nontraditional students who are trying to finish their degrees faster and plan to take courses during the summer semester.

“We realize that students aren’t going to hang around Salt Lake City all summer,” says Stokes. “UOnline allows them to take classes during the summer so they’re able to finish their degree quickly.”

Since the U is a commuter school, and many people from different areas of the valley have to travel long distances; offering more online courses allows those students who live further away more convenient and easier access to classes.

“People who live in Wyoming can take online classes at the U for the same price as residents,” says Stokes.

ICYMI, the University of Utah’s summer semester is available at residential cost for everyone, even those who pay out of state tuition during the spring and fall semesters.

The UOnline program offers a variety of undergrad online degrees ranging from Economics, Nursing, Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Management, Psychology and Sociology, and a minor in Gerontonlogy.

“These majors have a broad appeal because they don’t require a lot of intense prerequisite courses,” Stokes says.

Currently, there are over 450 online courses as well as graduate degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Gerontology and Information Systems.

“Our targets are students who may have quit school, we want them to feel like they can come back and finish,” says Stokes.

“I want students to know that when they encounter a problem while earning their degree, that doesn’t mean that they need to quit school,” says Stokes. “ I want students to realize that they can simply be a different kind of student.”

For a complete list of online courses and majors visit www.uonline.utah.edu for more information.