Honor System
As with all educational programs sponsored by BYU, a high sense of personal honor and integrity is expected in the completion of Independent Study courses. The assignments are intended to prepare you for the examinations and should be your own work.
If evidence of academic misconduct on assignments or exams is established, you may be given a failing grade for the course.
>> Back to top
FERPA Policy
The nature of independent study normally requires the dissemination of information by telephone, letter, fax, email, or some other distance communication method. Therefore, in order to be in compliance with FERPA, we require the student’s Social Security number or course access code before releasing any personally identifiable or educational information to the student, counselors, or parents. Please click here to read the Notification of Rights.
When the student turns 18 years old, or enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student. If the student is enrolled in BYU Independent Study’s non university-level courses and is 18 years old or older or is enrolled in BYU Independent Study’s University courses, regardless of age, we cannot release educational records to anyone other than the student. Parents, spouses, siblings, or friends do not have access to the student’s educational records unless the student provides signed permission granting a specified person rights to access his or her records. However, if the parent can provide proof that the student was claimed as a dependent in the previous income tax year, the parent may have access to the student’s educational records.
Click here for a printable FERPA permissions form. If the student was claimed as a dependent in the previous income tax year, proof may be attached to the form that is returned.
>> Back to top
Enrollment
Enrollment Methods
Course materials are shipped upon registration and payment. There are four ways you can pay for your course and assure that your materials are shipped out in a timely manner:
- Register online: use a credit card (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express) or debit card with the MasterCard or Visa logo.
- Call us toll-free at 1-800-914-8931: use a credit or debit card.
- Mail an order: use a check (payable to BYU Independent Study) or money order, or send credit card information with the card number and expiration date. NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH. Send to BYU Independent Study, 206 HCEB, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602.
- In person: use a credit or debit card, check or money order, or cash. Come to the registration desk in the Harman Building lobby at BYU.
Shipping
Textbook Shipping
To provide you with greater flexibility and increased purchasing options, Independent Study does not handle the purchasing or shipping of textbooks. If you order textbooks from the BYU Bookstore, please allow for extra shipping time and an additional shipping fee. Click here for the Shipping and Handling chart.
For textbook buy backs, please contact the BYU Bookstore. For textbook refunds, refer to the Bookstore refund policy or the refund policy of the company from which you bought your text(s).
Materials / Course Shipping
Shipping |
Cost |
Arrival Time |
Standard1
(First Class, FedEx) |
Included in course tuition |
7–10 Business days |
| |
|
|
Express Overnight (U.S. only) |
$15.00 |
*(see chart below) |
| |
|
|
International2
(DHL, outside U.S.) |
$15.00 (Canada/Mexico)
$20.00 (all other countries) |
7–10 business days (or fewer) |
| |
|
|
| Military Mail3 |
(see Standard and Overnight rates above) |
(see Standard and Overnight arrival times above) |
1. If you do not receive your materials after 10 business days, contact us at 1-800-914-8931.
2. You must include your street address, foreign postal code, and phone number to ensure delivery. If possible, please also include your email address. All international shipments will be sent DHL and will be charged an additional $20.
3. If you live on or go to school on a military base, to receive your mail through the U.S. military mail system, give us a complete APO address and postal code (the code indicates which base you want your mail sent to).
>> Back to top
Overnight Delivery Schedule
Requested |
Arrival |
| By 12:30 p.m. MST |
next business day |
| |
|
Thursday after 12:30 p.m. MST
through Friday 12:30 p.m. MST |
Monday |
| |
|
| Friday after 12:30 p.m. MST |
Tuesday |
NOTE: Independent Study is not responsible for items damaged or lost in the mail.
>> Back to top
Deadlines
Time Limit
You have one year from the date of enrollment to complete your course.
You are encouraged to maintain a regular schedule of study. Please refer to your course and allow appropriate time.
Transfer
You may transfer your enrollment from one course to another. If you transfer to a new course, your original expiration date will remain the same. If you contact us within 30 days of your enrollment, there is no transfer fee. After 30 days the fee is $20. Additionally there will be a $10 fee for each lesson submitted. If you transfer to a course with a different number of credit hours additional fees will be applied. No refunds after 60 days for courses with less credit hours.
>> Back to top
Withdrawal/Refund
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your Independent Study course, you can withdraw and receive a refund based on the following:
- The amount of your refund is based on when we receive your withdrawal.
- If you withdraw within 60 days, you will get a full refund minus a $15 student management fee per course and $10 for each lesson or exam submitted.
- After 60 days, we do not give refunds.
Click here for a printable Withdrawal Request Form. Please fill out the form completely to apply for a withdrawal. It must include the student’s signature.
Mail withdrawal requests to:
|
BYU Independent Study
206 Harman Continuing Education Building
P.O. Box 21514
Provo, UT 84602-1514 |
|
Or fax to (801) 422-0739.
Enrollments charged to a bankcard will be refunded to that same card; estimated refund time is 5-7 business days. Enrollments made by cash or check will be refunded by check, estimated refund time is 4-6 weeks.
If you are a purchase order customer or your course was paid for by a purchase order click here to complete the Purchase Order Withdrawal Form.
>> Back to top
Extension
If you have not completed your course within one year, you may be able to obtain one three-month extension depending on the status of your course. Extensions must be purchased for a fee of $20. You must request an extension and pay the fee before the course expiration date. Call 1-800-914-8931 to request an extension.
Deadlines for High School Graduation
All course assignments and examinations can be submitted at any time throughout your enrollment in the course. However, if you are completing your course for graduation, please submit all course work including exams, three weeks before your school's graduation deadline. Course assignments and examinations received after these dates will not be processed in time for your graduation.
Deadlines for Courses Posting to a University Transcript
All course assignments and examinations can be submitted at any time throughout your enrollment in the course. All lessons and midterms must be submitted in order to request the final exam. University courses will be posted to an official BYU transcript according to the BYU semester or term in which the course was completed. The following dates represent BYU's upcoming semesters and term deadlines.
Deadlines for Courses Posting to a University Transcript |
| Fall 2007 |
November 30th |
| Winter 2008 |
April 4th |
| Summer 2008 |
July 25th |
IF you are completing your course for BYU graduation, please submit all course work, including exams, prior to the deadlines listed above; no exceptions are granted. For graduation at universities other than BYU, for financial aid and scholarship deadlines, or for any other deadlines, all course assignments and examinations must be submitted 30 days before your deadline in order to allow adequate processing time.
Course assignments and examinations received after these dates will not be processes in time for your course to post to the desired semester or term.
>> Back to top
Assignments
Always make a copy of your assignments before sending them. Independent Study will not give credit for assignments lost in the mail. Please include a cover sheet for each assignment when submitting multiple assignments at the same time.
Speedback Assignments
Online
Speedback assignments submitted on our Web site receive instant grading and feedback. To submit Speedback assignments online, go to our Web site at elearn.byu.edu and select the Submit Assignment option. (Exams cannot be taken online.) You can submit Speedback assignments online even if you are enrolled in a paper course.
Mail
Speedback assignments are processed by computer, allowing us to post your grades the day your work is received in our office.
Mail your Speedback assignments to:
|
BYU Independent Study
206 Harman Continuing Education Building
P.O. Box 21514
Provo, UT 84602-1514 |
|
>> Back to top
Instructor-graded Assignments
Instructor-graded work is graded by the instructor rather than by computer. Grades will be posted approximately two weeks after the assignment or exam is received in our office. Please include a cover sheet when submitting your assignments, indicating which lesson you are submitting. If you are enrolled in a web course or if you need more coversheets, you can print them online ( print coversheet)). We prefer assignments to be submitted sequentially and one at a time. Do not submit more than three instructor graded assignments at a time. You may not turn in the same work for two different courses.
E-mail
Instructor-graded assignments can be submitted by an email attachment at is_lesson@byu.edu. MS Word (doc) or Rich Text Format (rtf) is preferred. Please include your name, course access code, course name, and lesson number in the subject line.
Fax
You may fax your instructor-graded assignments to Independent Study at your cost. (Speedback assignments cannot be faxed.) We cannot return your assignments to you by fax. To insure receipt, please include a cover sheet that shows your name, your course access code, and the number of pages you are sending. Please make sure the lesson is in the correct order when you fax it. Do not use pencil for your faxed assignments. Our fax number is (801) 422-0102.
Mail
You may submit any of your assignments by mail to:
| |
BYU Independent Study
206 Harman Continuing Education Building
P.O. Box 21514
Provo, UT 84602-1514 |
| |
NOTE: Independent Study is not responsible for items damaged in the mail.
Resubmissions
Call our office, 1-800-914-8931, to see if a resubmission is available for your course. If a resubmission is allowed, you will only be give ONE resubmission per lesson. In some cases, not all lessons can be resubmitted. There is, however, a $10 fee for each resubmission. You may not resubmit any assignments or midcourse exams after you have requested the final exam.
>> Back to top
Exams
Requesting Exams
Courses may have midcourse exams, final exams, or both, depending on the course. You may take the midcourse exam at any time during the course. However, you can only request the final exam after all course assignments and examinations have been submitted and your proctor has submitted the proctor certification form.
You must request your final exam before the course expiration date. You must pass the final exam in order to pass the course. Once you request your exam, you have one month in which to take the exam. If you request an exam reprint, it will be a $10 fee.
If you wish to have your exam express mailed, it must be requested by phone and not online. (You must pay a $15 express mail fee when you request the exam.) For express exams to be delivered the next day they must be requested before 2pm MST. If you wish to have your exam express mailed both ways, we can include a prepaid return express mail envelop with your express for a total fee of $30. All exams received on Saturday will be processed on the following Monday.
All High School exams must be taken in a supervised setting with a certified proctor and all college exams must be taken with a certified testing center. Please allow two weeks for your proctor to receive the exam. You are responsible for contacting your proctor or testing center to find out if your exam has arrived and to determine an appropriate time to take the exam.
Online
To request an exam online, go to our Web site at elearn.byu.edu and select the Request Exam option in the Students section. Fill in all information, including where the exam will be administered. Exams ordered online are usually shipped within two business days.
By Phone
Exams may be requested by calling 1-800-914-8931 (toll-free) or (801) 422-2868 (local).
By Mail
You may request your exam by mailing a Request for Examination form from your course manual to Independent Study.
Retakes
In some cases, you may retake an exam once for a $15 fee. Retakes must be done within 30 days of taking the original exam. All course work, including exam retakes, need to be completed by the course expiration date.
You must pass the final exam in order to pass the course.
>> Back to top
Testing Locations
Provo Area
The Independent Study Office (206 Harman Continuing Education Building)
- Office hours for testing: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.– 7:00 p.m., tests are collected at 6:50 p.m.
- You must request your exam at least one day in advance.
- Please bring picture ID with you.
- Allow yourself enough time to finish the exam by 6:45 p.m.
Testing Services (located in the Heber J. Grant Building on the BYU campus)
- You must request your exam from the Independent Study Office 3–5 days in advance.
- For Testing Services hours, call (801) 422-2861 or email testing@byu.edu.
- Please bring picture ID with you.
- Be prepared to pay a fee of $1 per exam.
- You will need to park in the BYU visitors' parking area because there is no parking at the Grant Building.
Salt Lake Valley
The BYU Salt Lake Center (345 W North Temple St 3 Triad Center Suite 300)
- You must request your exam from the Independent Study Office 2–3 days in advance.
- Picture ID is required.
- Call (801) 933-9402 for office hours and to set up a time to take your exam.
Note: BYU dress and grooming standards are strictly enforced at all previous locations. Clothing is inappropriate when it is sleeveless, revealing, strapless, backless, or form fitting. Dresses, skirts, and shorts must be knee length or longer, with no slits above the knee. Hairstyles should be clean and neat, avoiding extremes in styles and colors. Earrings for men and excessive ear piercing (more than one per ear) for women and all other body piercings are not acceptable.
Outside the Salt Lake/Provo Area
- University Exams must be taken at a certified college testing center. Click here to find a college testing center near you.
- High School Exams must be supervised by an approved proctor (see list below), certified by our office. The student must remain under the supervision of the proctor for the entire duration of the exam. If the student is uncomfortable with the proctoring situation (e.g. the setting is one-on-one with the proctor), a parent, friend, or chaperone may be present, along with the proctor, so long as the student does not interact with that person during the exam. Receiving assistance from any person during an exam is considered cheating and is grounds for receiving a failing grade for the course.
- Unless otherwise specified in the exam cover sheet, exams must be taken without the assistance of books, notes, or any other outside help.
- All exams must be mailed to the educational facility at which the proctor is employed; no exceptions. Exams may not be administered at the proctor or the student's home. Allow for mailing time.
- Photo identification is required.
- Exams cannot be faxed to our office; all materials must be returned by mail.
>>
Find a Testing Center
>> Back to top
Proctors
All Independent Study exams must be taken at the Independent Study Offices or under the supervision of a college testing center or a proctor who has been certified by Independent Study.
Exams for university-level courses must be taken at the Independent Study Offices or in a college testing center. Please use the link below to find the college testing center nearest you.
>>
Find Testing Centers
Exams for high school-level courses must be taken at the Independent Study Offices, at a college testing center, or under the supervision of a certified proctor.
To take an exam with a proctor, you must first receive permission from the individual before designating him or her as your proctor. The proctor must have been previously certified by BYU Independent Study. Proctors may apply for certification by filling out a proctor certification form online. Please do not request your exam before your proctor has been certified by Independent Study. If you are enrolled in a paper course, directions are included on the proctor information card that was provided with your course materials. Information may also be found at
Proctor Policy.
If they are willing, the following individuals are eligible to serve as proctors for junior/high school-level courses:
- High School Guidance counselor
- Full-time high school teacher
- High school superintendent, principal, vice principal
- CES (Church Education System) full-time teacher/director
- Full-time high school or public librarian
- Embassy education officer
- Military base/station education officer
- Local college testing center (Check the Consortium's Web site to find a testing center near you.)
The following individuals are ineligible to serve as proctors for junior/high school-level courses:
- University professors
- Elementary School educators
- Relatives or friends of the student
- Student's employer
- Student's tutor
- Ecclesiastical leaders*
- Athletic coach, assistant coach, athletic administrator, or athletic academic counselor
- Anyone with a relationship to the student that may result in a conflict of interest in proctoring an exam
*Ecclesiastical leaders who are also full-time educators ARE eligible to become certified proctors.
>> Back to top
Final Course Grades
Grades for instructor-graded exams will be posted approximately two weeks after your completed exam is received. Speedback exam grades will be posted within twenty-four hours after your exam is received.
To view your grades on assignments and exams online, go to Independent Study's Web site at elearn.byu.edu and select the Check Grades option. You will be required to enter your course access code, and your scores will be displayed on the screen.
Personal Enrichment Courses
If you have enrolled in a personal enrichment course, your assignments will be graded, but there is no final exam and you will not receive credit for the course.
Junior/High School Courses
Grades are sent to your school counselor if you have given Independent Study your school's ACT code. Non university–level courses grades are not posted on a university transcript and are not available from the BYU Records Office.
University Courses
Grades are automatically posted on an official BYU transcript. After you have received your Notice of Course Completion, you may request a transcript from the BYU Records Office (B-150 ASB, Provo, UT 84602) for $2 per copy. You may also fax your request to (801) 422-0613. (Provide your credit card number and its expiration date.)
>> Back to top
Notice of Course Completion
You will receive a notice of course completion that includes your final exam grade (if your course has a final exam) and your course grade. You should receive this notice approximately two to three weeks after your final exam is received at Independent Study.
You must complete the entire course to receive credit, even if the course is worth more credit than you need.
>> Back to top |