CourseShare
Since Autumn 2015, the University of Chicago has been strengthening its language offerings by being an active member of the CourseShare initiative. This initiative allows students within the Big Ten Academic Alliance–the fourteen Big Ten schools and the University of Chicago–to enroll in selected courses offered at other institutions. This expands the number of courses offered to our students while also strengthening enrollment in our least commonly taught languages.
Please note that CourseShare courses are typically long-term agreements between departments at each university, not simply an extension of the university’s course catalog. CourseShare does not have the infrastructure to support every request from individual students. Students must be able to demonstrate compelling academic reasons that the language is needed and must receive approval from their faculty adviser, chair, or dean of students. Requests for CourseShare courses must be submitted at least one month before the course begins.
Other Academic Exchanges
UChicago PhD students may be eligible to participate in the Chicago Metropolitan Exchange or the IvyPlus Exchange Scholars programs. For more information, visit UChicagoGRAD’s page on Academic Exchange Programs.
How does CourseShare work?
Students enrolled in CourseShare courses are expected to observe the academic calendar of the institution offering the course. This includes start dates, end dates, and holidays. Please note that nearly all universities in the Big Ten Academic Alliance operate on semesters, with only Northwestern and the University of Chicago operating on quarters.
Students interested in CourseShare courses should check the academic calendar of the host institution and the times class meetings will be held to ensure they can attend all class meetings.
Students are enrolled in CourseShare courses at both their home institution and the institution offering the course, but they do not need to pay any extra tuition.
Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA):
- University of Chicago
- University of Illinois
- Indiana University
- University of Iowa
- University of Maryland
- University of Michigan
- Michigan State University
- University of Minnesota
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Northwestern University
- Ohio State University
- Pennsylvania State University
- Purdue University
- Rutgers University
- University of Wisconsin-Madision
For information on institutions and procedures regarding the Chicago Metropolitan Exchange and the IvyPlus Exchange Scholars programs, visit UChicagoGRAD’s website.
The Registrar’s office uses this chart when converting credits from other institutions to University of Chicago units.
The first step to participating in a CourseShare course is communicating with your faculty advisor or department chair about your need for the given language. You will also need to do some research online to find universities within the Big Ten Academic Alliance that offer the language you need at the appropriate level and ensure that it is being offered in the coming quarter or semester. All of this should be done at least three months prior to the start of the course.
After you have found some options that may be suitable, contact Nick Swinehart at nswinehart[at]uchicago.edu for a CourseShare petition that documents all of the above information. Language Center staff will then contact the CourseShare coordinator at the other institution(s) to inquire about the possibility of establishing a partnership.