Curriculum Builder Tool

The Curriculum Builder considers your degree, major, credits transferred as well as your interests as defined during Phase 1 to determine the exact number of credits required to fulfill the academic requirements and recommend the most relevant academic materials to build your curriculum.

AIU students have the unique advantage of being able to define their courses and program content to match their goals and needs thanks to our course builder. The Curriculum Builder Tool allows you to generate your own unique courses, select from pre-existing AIU courses, or a combination of those options. In the end, you will define a list of courses/subjects for your program which will be submitted for review by your academic advisor.

There are over 100,000 academic contents to choose from as well as references and reading materials numbering in the millions to support your learning goals for each course. These include digital resources, course materials, webinars, archived conferences, virtual labs, optional assignments, library reading materials, and peer-reviewed journals and publications. We recommend that students define and develop at least 50% of their courses andragogically meaning 100% personalized versus selecting them from the pre-defined course list. The predefined list of courses while faster does not give you the benefit of unique content and a personalized curriculum that is optimal for you.

How to start using Curriculum Builder in AIU?

Students at all levels have access to AIU’s Curriculum Builder module in the Virtual Campus. The Curriculum Builder is accessible during Phase 2 of the academic program and together with feedback from your Tutor and Academic Advisor will ensure that your program is as unique as you are. The more than 120 degrees and areas of study listed are only a fraction of the available programs at the university. The university open curriculum design sets your journey at AIU apart from what is possible at any other university. The Open Curriculum at AIU means students can study in virtually any area by proposing a customized course list for approval that is perfectly aligned with their interests, goals, and aspirations.

A tutorial and online training are provided for this course. Since this course will define your academic path it is considered a foundation for your program and requires considerable planning and research to complete. While you have significant freedom in selecting your courses and defining the requirements for them your academic advisor will review and may request modifications to one or all of your proposed courses. As a general guide, the course must be related to your area of studies/major. If they are not, it is important to clearly specify in the course objectives why this course will provide you with the knowledge, abilities, and skills that will facilitate your growth and development in your field/industry. Typically, two-thirds of the courses should be directly in your field and one-third can be in other areas you deem necessary for your optimal development.

Organize your AIU reading list

While using the Curriculum Builder, you will have access to thousands of sample curriculums to inspire and guide you. Many students find that a sample or resource they select needs to be personalized so will add or remove parts of the lesson plan to suit their needs and interests. Once this foundational course is complete and approved by the academic department the student will know the exact steps and path of their academic journey at AIU and will be free to pursue it at their own pace. An example of the final result may be as follows: The student is enrolled in a Master’s program requiring 36 credits. 6 credits were earned in Phase 1 thus a list of 8 courses is defined totaling 24 credits and 6 credits for the Thesis proposal and Thesis itself (6+24+6=36 credits).