Welcome to the Office of Online Learning at the College of General Studies. We lead the development and support of a diverse portfolio of undergraduate online courses and credit-bearing opportunities, including majors, minors, and certificates. Meet the Team.
Our office partners with schools, academic departments, and faculty to create accessible, high-quality, and interactive online learning experiences for undergraduate students.
Through a flexible and collaborative approach to course design, we help educators strengthen their skills in the e-learning environment and foster inclusive, engaging courses that set students up for success.
Explore the sections below to learn more about the resources and support we offer. You can reach us at cgsapa@pitt.edu.
Teaching Toolbox: Resources and Links
The CGS Teaching Toolbox contains on-demand resources, quick-start templates, videos, demos, and info sheets to help support your teaching. We invite you to explore this section and find the tools that best suit your teaching needs and style.
Teaching Online at CGS
The College of General Studies offers a variety of hybrid and fully online classes across multiple disciplines. If you are a PItt faculty member and would like to know more about the approval process for new online courses at CGS, this section offers resources and information to get you started.
Course Development Process
Research and experience show that effort required to develop and teach online courses is equivalent to developing and teaching the same course in a face-to-face modality. Explore this overview of the stages of development of new courses at CGS.
Online Course Quality
We place high value on the quality of online courses at CGS. Find out about the quality standards we have adopted to guide the development, evaluation, and continuous improvement of CGS online classes.
Faculty Course Development Cohorts
Each term, the Office of Online Learning and Academic Programs hosts a multi-month long interdisciplinary cohort of CGS-affiliated instructors who are embarking on the online (re)-design of their courses for the college’s academic programs. Learn more about our cohort program.
CGS Online Demo Course for Faculty
How do face-to-face activities translate in online course environments? How can you keep students engaged when you don’t meet face-to-face? How can you create an inclusive, accessible online course? Complete this CGS online self-paced training to explore all of these questions and more.
Excellence in Online Education Mini-Grants
Our Excellence in Online Education Mini-Grant Faculty Program provides funding to CGS instructors who want to redesign their CGS class and offer a more impactful online learning experience.
Instructional Design Support
Our team of dedicated instructional designers offers support to help with your online course needs.