Online Enrollment for International Students
The OIA is aware that some international students may be interested in the option of pursuing their university studies entirely online from their home country. Online study from abroad may also be a viable option for international students who are unable to obtain their F-1 visa in time to join the University in-person for the semester of their admission. Therefore, the OIA is pleased to offer the following information about pursuing an academic program online, from abroad, as an international student. As no visa is required for online study from abroad, beginning an academic program or even pursuing an entire degree program online, from home, may be a viable option for some international students.
Students should note that if they begin their program online with the intention of completing the F-1 visa application process and joining the University for a future semester, they must defer their I-20. I-20 program dates must correspond to a student's semester of in-country enrollment.
Please note, not all programs are approved to be offered in a fully online format. To review the list of online programs, you may visit the Academics Online Learning page.
Some doctoral programs may have unique considerations that are not discussed below. Doctoral students with questions about online study are encouraged to reach out to their respective College graduate office and/or academic advisor to discuss options.
A travel ban impacting 40 countries is currently being enforced by United States federal government. Students from countries identified in the travel ban are currently prohibited from entering the USA and are not eligible to obtain an F-1 student visa. We regret that, unfortunately, the travel ban will affect some students' ability to arrive in the USA and enroll in-person in an academic program at the university. For more information about the travel ban, including the complete list of 40 countries, please visit the OIA Important Updates page.
(Last revised 01/29/2026)
FAQ for new international students considering online enrollment
The same qualified faculty who teach in our on-campus courses also teach our online sections. The course structure or deliverables may vary slightly in an online mode, but the same course learning objectives are met.
The University of Michigan-Dearborn is not new to teaching online. We have been doing so for almost 20 years.
There is no difference in the degree credential awarded for those degree programs approved by our accreditor to be completed fully online. The diploma and degree conferred online or in-person are the same.
The University of Michigan-Dearborn campus uses Canvas as its learning management system (LMS). Courses are accessed via this platform. More details can be found at Canvas for Students. We suggest closely reviewing the following areas of the webpage:
- Canvas Overview Video
- Student Readiness for Online Learning Survey
- Canvas Information for Students
Our Digital Team has set up a test course site to try out in-country, which can be accessed.
Online courses follow the same academic calendar as on-campus courses. Fall and winter terms are generally 15 weeks long. Course structure and requirements may vary by individual course. Each instructor will provide a course syllabus at the beginning of the term with all course assignments, deadlines, and grading weights itemized in detail.
This may vary by course. In the event that any additional materials would be needed, this would be itemized in the course syllabus. One can also check the Campus Bookstore to see if any specific additional books are itemized.
This may vary by individual course.
Each course instructor will determine the method(s) of assessment and that detail will be included in the course syllabus. Possibilities include, but are not limited to, take home exams, timed Canvas-based exams or, in some cases, paper/pencil proctored exams. Individual or group projects may also be used.
Faculty are guided to keep requirements for fully online courses asynchronous. Another guideline provided to faculty is to hold synchronous online office hours for online students. Most instructors will also answer questions asynchronously via Canvas conversations or email for those students who are unable to participate in the synchronous office hours.
This will vary from course to course. There might be group discussions, group presentations, group projects, etc. or no group work at all.
College of Business (COB) online courses typically involve some sort of group project, but it varies course by course, just as it does for a campus-based course. Regardless, interaction and discussions among students and with the professor are standard features of every online course in COB.
An example from a College of Engineering and Computer Science student: Group projects are an effective part of course work. A group project may consist of 30-40% (subjected to change) of weightage in a subject. Equal contribution of students is appreciated. You have to work in groups but in almost all cases, there will be a free hand to choose your group partners according to convenience.
Course content and learning objectives will be similar between the two formats, but the delivery method may look quite different. Each student may have a different response on which is more or less work depending on what they personally find more easy or difficult to digest and deliver on. To see if your personal profile might be well suited to online learning, consider taking the Student Readiness for Online Learning quiz and reviewing the success strategies itemized on the Canvas for Students webpage to maximize what you get out of the online learning environment. Some students may find they get more from an online course than an in-person course.
It may vary by course and will be itemized in the course syllabus. Online courses usually have different activities than in-class. The syllabus should always itemize the grading and provide a grade scale for the course. Online courses may have graded discussions, which can be a big difference from in-class courses.
International students who intend to join the university in person but are considering beginning their program online, from their home country, may consider the following pros and cons:
Starting Online: Pros: Finish your program sooner, work advancement or new career path sooner, may cost less (living expense savings) Cons: have the full cultural immersion experience for less total time, some may not find the online learning environment to be a good fit for their personal circumstances (learning style, availability or cost of reliable internet service), uncertainty about when specifically one will be able to physically arrive on-campus
Deferring: Masters-level applications are generally valid for one academic year from your initial term of application. Please note, doctoral students are encouraged to reach out to their respective College graduate office and/or academic advisor to discuss their deferral options. If a change in start term is needed, a deferral request must be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies via the Graduate Admissions Deferral Request Form. All documents previously submitted will be transferred to the new term along with your admission if you are eligible for a deferral. If you choose to attend another university in the meantime, your application will require a second review by the Faculty Review Committee with official transcripts from that institution.
If you are in need of a student visa, a new I-20 will need to be issued for the term you plan to arrive on campus. Additional financial documentation may be required if materials on file are older than one year.
If you are enrolled in a program already approved to be offered in a fully online format (list is available in the Academics Online Learning page), you will be able to complete your program fully online. There will be no difference in the degree credential awarded. The diploma would read exactly the same.
If you are enrolled in a program that is not approved to be offered in a fully online format, you will need to transition to on-campus instruction in order to graduate. By starting this degree program online, there is a risk that you will not be able to complete your degree if you cannot obtain the F-1 student visa or enter the US when you need to transition to on-campus attendance.
The semesters that you complete remotely, online, will not count toward CPT or OPT eligibility. In order to be eligible for CPT or OPT, students must have been enrolled full-time, on-campus, in F-1 status for two consecutive semesters.
For example, if you complete the fall semester remotely, but then arrive on campus and complete the following winter and summer semesters with full-time enrollment and in F-1 status, then you will become eligible to apply for CPT beginning in the following fall semester.
The timing of your arrival on campus and the full-time semesters that you are able to complete in F-1 status are important considerations to keep in mind if you intend to participate in co-curricular internships and work opportunities as part of your academic program.
You are not required to obtain an F-1 student visa in order to enroll in an academic program online from your home country. You must have your visa, however, for the semester in which you plan to physically join the University and enroll for the on-campus program.
If your current I-20 is for the fall semester and you will not be able to obtain your visa in time to join the University for fall, then the Office of International Affairs (OIA) will need to issue you a new I-20 with program dates corresponding to the semester of your on-campus enrollment. Therefore, please plan to work closely with the OIA to ensure that you are issued an updated I-20 and any health insurance charges are removed from your student account. You must update your I-20 before your current program start-date.
The OIA can be reached directly at [email protected]. Students are also able to schedule a virtual advising appointment with an OIA advisor from the OIA homepage.
Yes, there are. Full details can be found at the Payment Plans page. Any questions can be directed to the Student Accounts office at [email protected].
Your arrival and move-in date should be planned in coordination with your ability to obtain an F-1 student visa. Once you have secured your visa, you may proceed with making travel and housing plans. We strongly encourage students to not proceed with airfare or housing payments before receiving a visa.
With regard to housing, the vast majority of international students choose to live near campus at one of three available options: The Union at Dearborn, Fairlane Meadows, and Fairlane Woods. You may learn more about available housing options on the OIA Prepare to Arrive page.
Student organizations such as the Indian Graduate Student Association (IGSA), the Graduate International Student Organization (GISO), and the African Student Union (ASU) are also available to assist with detailed information regarding local accommodations.
Find contact information for each below:
Graduate International Student Organization (GISO):
Email: [email protected]
Instagram
VictorsLink Page
Indian Graduate Student Association:
Email: [email protected]
Instagram
VictorsLink Page
African Student Union:
Email: [email protected]
Instagram
VictorsLink Page
The earliest you are allowed to enter the USA with an F-1 student visa is up to 30 days ahead of your program start-date. Your program dates will be recorded on page 1 of your I-20. If you receive your visa in the middle of a semester, you will most likely have to plan to arrive on-campus for the following semester. This may require a new I-20, although you will not need to re-apply for your visa.
The latest day by which F-1 students are allowed to arrive in the USA for in-person enrollment is the same as the University add/drop deadline, as published in the UM-Dearborn academic calendar. We regret that no exceptions can be made for late arrivals.
In the unfortunate situation that your visa application is denied, you will be allowed to reapply. There is no limit to the number of applications you will be allowed to submit to your local consulate or embassy. However, you will have to pay special attention to the reason you are given for your visa denial. Unfortunately, the University has no control over whether or not your visa application may be approved.
If your program is one that is traditionally offered completely online, then you will still be able to complete your program, and receive your Michigan degree, independent of whether or not you are able to receive an F-1 student visa. However, please note that, for programs that are not typically offered completely online, the University cannot guarantee whether all program requirements will continue to be made available online in the coming semesters and years.