Preface

This handbook is for the students of the International Open

University (IOU). It includes information regarding IOU pol-
icies, study method, events, students services, rules and
regulations, and other study related content.
Table of contents

A. The International Open University - Vision and Principle 1

Knowledge: Qur’an and Sunnah 2
Accessibility 2
Affordability 2
Community 2
Islamic Ethics 3
Quality and Application 3

B. Rights and Responsibilities of Students 4

Student Responsibilities and Agreements 4
Community Service Work 4

C. Support 5
Academic 5
Administrative 5

D. Academics 5
Student Records 5
Required resources 6
Time Zones 6
Schedules: 6
Enrollment Status (Part time/full Time/Accelerated) 7
Study Plans: 8
Study Method: 9
Assessment Policy: 10
Course Evaluation Scheme: 12
Attendance Policy 13
Live Session Policy: 13
Tajweed Courses Live Sessions Policy: 13
Exam Center Registration 13
Test / Exam Resets 14
Final Exam Reset: 14
Late Exams and Exemptions: 15
Academic Honesty 16
Plagiarism 16
Thesis Policy: 18
Assignment Grade Appeal 18
Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) 18
Course Waivers: 19
 Course Exemption Exam Policy: 19
Stream Change 20
Advance Diploma Stream: 20
Audit Stream: 21
Dual Program Enrollment 21
Additional Course Policy 21
Grade Transfer 22
Course Repetition 23
Graduation Requirements 23
Transcripts: 24
Graduation Degree/Diploma/Certificate: 24
Deferment of Graduation: 24
Abeyance 25
Credit Transfer: 25
Non-Credit courses 25

E. Campus policies 27
Student Identification 27
Privacy 27

F. Financial Policies 27
Scholarships 27
Foreign Domestic Workers policy 27
Fee Refund Policy 28
Early Bird Discount 28

G. Campus Services & Resources 28

Alumni Association 28
Student Committees 28
Office 365 License: 29
Libraries and Academic Resources: 29
▪▪ Resources Available Free of Cost for Students and Staff 29
▫▫ JSTOR 29
▫▫ Oxford University Press 30
▪▪ II. Resources Available for a Nominal Fee 30
▫▫ Darusalaam 30

H. Convocation Ceremony 31
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Vision
& Principle
The International Open University (IOU) aims to grant global access to
quality undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate level education programs
for students at virtually no cost. Its mission is to “Change the Muslim nation
and the world situation through education.”

“Making authentic Islamic knowledge readily available

to the world through the Internet solely for Allah’s
pleasure is a noble life-goal and a mission well worth
sacrificing all of one’s energies and means for.”
Dr. Bilal Philips
Founder and Chancellor, International Open University

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Knowledge: It’s Need and Importance

Allah said, “Indeed it is only the knowledgeable among His servants who truly fear Allah.”
(35:28)

The Last Prophet peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said, “Seeking knowledge is ob-
ligatory on every Muslim.”

IOU follows the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah according to the understanding of the first
three generations of Muslim scholars. It recognizes and holds in high regard the contribu-
tions of the great Imams to the development of Fiqh and benefits from all of them. IOU
strives to follow the math’hab of Abu Haneefah as distinct from the Hanafi math’hab, the
math’hab of Maalik as distinct from the Maliki math’hab, the Math’hab of ash-Shaafi’ee as
distinct from the Shaa’fi’ee math’hab and the math’hab of Ahmad ibn Hambal as distinct from
the Hambali math’hab. The math’hab of these great imams, as is known to all, was that of
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Accessibility
The International Open University provides a golden opportunity to access quality under-
graduate, graduate and postgraduate level courses, wherever people may be and whenever
they wish, without having to travel overseas or even leave the confines of their homes. Its
goal is to enable education to anyone, from any place, at any time.

The Last Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “If anyone travels on a
road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads to Paradise.”

Affordability
The IOU demonstrates its continuous commitment to the spreading of the beneficial knowl-
edge by progressing from absolutely free certificate and diploma level courses to accredited
bachelor’s and master’s degrees in various fields of study thereby, making the higher edu-
cation easily affordable worldwide for the benefit of the individuals, their communities and
humanity in general. All students are provided equal access to an education that few could
afford if they were to attend the traditional institutions of higher learning around the world.

Allah said, “Say: Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” (39:9)

Community
No student will be prevented from studying at the International Open University regardless
of his or her religious, ethnic or social background. The IOU affirms that its doors will remain
open for all, irrespective of the borders existing in the real world. It has already spawned
a global community of over 180,000 students who seek Islamic knowledge from over 224
countries.

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Allah said, “Cooperate with each other in righteousness and piety… ” (5:2)

Islamic Ethics
It is the fundamental belief of the International Open University that the Muslim teacher is
essentially different from a teacher who merely happens to be a Muslim. Likewise, the Mus-
lim student should be distinctly different from a student who so happens to be a Muslim. The
IOU expects all its students, faculty, staff, administrators and volunteers to function in their
respective positions and fields first and foremost as Muslims. Doing so will naturally entail
maintaining the highest standards of personal integrity, honesty and responsibility.

The Last Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Indeed, Allah loves from
each of you that whenever you do work, it should be done according to the best of your
ability.”

Quality and Application

The International Open University is committed to providing a top quality online academic
experience, suitable in its scope and depth, to convey the authentic and practical Islamic
knowledge, while at the same time enabling its students to face the contemporary challenges
of the 21st century by offering other fields of study such as psychology, education or finance.
IOU will assess and re-evaluate every aspect of its academic model on an ongoing basis and
will not only encourage its students to study diligently, but also emphasize that they must
strive their utmost to put the knowledge gained into practice.

The Last Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The best of you is one
who learns the Qur’an and teaches it to others.”

He also said, “The best of you is the one most beneficial to people.”

The Last Prophet’s disciple, Ibn Mas’ood, said, “We used to learn knowledge and its applica-
tion together.”

Imam Sufyaan ath-Thawree related that as a youth, when he first began to attend classes,
his mother advised him, “If you write down 10 words and your faith hasn’t improved, check
yourself.”

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Rights & Responsibilities

of Students

Student Responsibilities and Agreements

1. Students should understand the etiquettes of the student of knowledge and as such
should show respect at all times. If a student is disrespectful to the faculty, to another
student, or to the staff at the test center, he or she will undergo a review and possibly
be removed from the class and may be dismissed from the university, depending on the
severity of the disruption.

2. All students should fully participate in the online forums.

3. Students of the International Open University should pledge that all tests taken by them
and all work turned in by them are original and solely the result of their own efforts. Any
form of academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism, will be recorded in the
student’s permanent file. Breaches of academic integrity will be dealt with severely, as per
the International Open University’s policy. After the first instance of a breach of academic
integrity, the student will receive a failing grade IN ALL CLASSES FOR WHICH HE/SHE
IS CURRENTLY ENROLLED. After the second instance, the student will be expelled per-
manently from the university.

4. Plagiarism is defined as using others’ planning or drafting to generate an essay, copying

any part of another person’s homework, or collaborating on assignments that are meant
to be individual efforts. Unless otherwise indicated, all assignments should be completed
individually.

5. Students are expected to devote at least four hours of study per week per subject. Stu-
dents should read course materials, listen to the lecture, take the module test, and com-
plete the course assignment.

Community Service Work

All Bachelor’s degree, Masters Degree, Intensive Arabic Program, Higher Diploma and two
year Associate Degree students, whether they are doing community service work on-ground
(helping the local community) or online (working for the Muslim community at large through
internet or any other virtual communication method), are required to perform 36 hours of
community service each semester.

a. Please follow this link for different ways to complete your community service
work.
b. Please follow this link to submit the completed work.
c. For further details, please follow this link.

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Support

1. Academic
Each course is assigned a faculty who handles all issues related to it. They provide aca-
demic support and facilitate learning by:

1. Providing further clarification of materials studied in the recorded lectures.

2. Grading assignments

3. Answering student queries pertaining to subject matter over emails and/or stu-
dent forum.

Students can contact their Course Teacher over email. Their contact details are availa-
ble in each course under ‘Teacher Contact Details’.

2. Administrative
1. All program related inquiries can be emailed to info@iou.edu.gm.

2. All issues concerning your studies at the degree campus can be forwarded to the
Helpdesk using this form.

Academics

1. Student Records
a) Financial Records

▪▪ The university maintains student’s financial records which the students can see
through the payment history portal.

▪▪ Any student having admission status as ‘Paid’, his/her records shall be

maintained by the university.

a) Academic Records:

▪▪ The university maintains student’s Academic records which the students can
see through the Grade History portal.

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▪▪ Any student who has ever completed/failed any course at the University, his/
her records shall be maintained by the university.

b) Personal Information

The university maintains the profile details of the students. Students can apply for
editing the profile details, as and when required, by submitting the application through
the Profile Edit portal on the Dashboard.

2. Required Resources

The following technical requirements or applications must be installed on your device

for a smooth learning process:

a) Internet connection

b) Laptop/desktop/smartphones/tablets

c) Windows OS / iOS

d) PDF Reader- Foxit can be downloaded from here

e) VLC player

f) MS software - can be downloaded from the O365 Application which is provided

on the payment of 10 USD payment. You can access further details here.

g) Moodle App
▪▪ Android: Download here
▪▪ iOS: Download here
1) WiziQ: All Live Sessions are conducted using WizIQ platform
a) Desktop Application: Download here
b) Android Application: Virtual Classroom
c) iOS Application: Virtual Classroom

3. Time Zones
All the schedules that are displayed on our courses, emails, live sessions, or
announcements are per the Universal Coordinated Time [UTC]. Students must
convert it to their local time to stay updated. Here is a website to convert UTC to
your local time. https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/

4. Schedules:
Each course follows a certain schedule within a stretch of 6 months. However, it is
quite flexible and achievable with proper planning.

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The schedule is almost the same for all programs, with a little variation.

The following links provide the updated schedule every semester according to the
programs:

▪▪ Intensive Arabic Program [IAP]

▪▪ Masters in Islamic Studies [MAIS]
▪▪ All Bachelor Degree, Advanced Diploma, Higher Diploma [BMAIS], Certificate
and Associate Degree Programs

5. Enrollment Status (Part time/full Time/Accelerated)

Enrollment
Program Name Minimum & Maximum Number of Courses
Status

All Bachelors/ As- Part Time Enroll in minimum 1 and maximum 3 courses
sociate/Certificate
Programs Except
Full Time Enroll in minimum 4 and maximum 6 courses
Psychology

Accelerated Enroll in minimum 7 and maximum 9 courses.

B.Sc/ Associate Di- Part Time Enroll in minimum 1 and maximum 3 courses
ploma and Certifi-
cate in Psychology
Full Time Enroll in minimum 4 and maximum 5 courses

Accelerated Enroll in minimum 6 and maximum 7 courses

MAIS Program Part Time ▪▪ Enroll in minimum 1and maximum 3

courses. Or
▪▪ Enroll in THS 501 and 2 courses or
▪▪ Enroll in THS 502 only.

Full Time ▪▪ Enroll in a minimum of 4 courses and a

maximum of 6 courses. Or
▪▪ Enroll in THS 501 and 3 courses.

Accelerated ▪▪ Enroll in minimum 7 courses and

maximum 9 courses. Or
▪▪ Enroll in THS 501 and 6 courses.

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6. Study Plans:
International Open University offers a wide range of organized and structured flexible
study plans for its programs. These plans are interchangeable each semester. A
student who chooses one plan for one semester is allowed to choose another plan the
following semester. The only mandatory requirement is that the student completes
the entire program within the maximum allotted period for that program.

Study
Number of
Semester time per Completion
courses per Who is it for?
Plan week [in Time
semester
hours]

Part Time 1-3 9-12 Degree: Busy students

5-12 years (e.g., working,
studying,
Associate married).
Degree:
3-6 years
Certificate:
2-3 years
BMAIS:
2-4.5 years
MAIS:
2-4 years

Full Time 4-6 18-24 Degree: This is the

4 years regular mode
Associate which is apt
Degree: for students
2 years who don’t
Certificate: have extra
1 year commit-
BMAIS: ments.
1.5 years
MAIS:
2 years

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Accelerat- 7-9 27-36 Degree: Students

ed 3 years who are ab-
Associate solutely free
Degree: as it will be
1.5 years very intense
Certificate: because of
1 year the studying
BMAIS: hours per
1 year week.
MAIS:
1.5 years

7. Study Method:
Students are required to complete the following as part of their coursework:

a. Module Tests
b. Assignments / Research Paper
c. Midterm Exam
d. Final Exam

IOU is comprised of students from around the globe. Our students learn through
watching and listening to video and audio lectures as well as reading texts (PDF
Format). They also have the support of well-trained faculty members. Within the
online study community, students may share resources, exchange ideas, discuss
weekly topics, submit assignments, and take exams.

The Course Material consists of:

▪▪ Course text (PDF): The basic text(s) used for teaching the course will be provided
as downloadable, printable PDF files. Supplementary reading texts will also be
recommended, which students can get on their own. In the future, we plan to
have an exclusive library of PDF books for our students to use as supplementary
reading.
▪▪ Recorded lectures (video and audio): We recommend that students watch the
video at least once. The audios are extracted from the same videos and are
provided primarily for those who have poor internet connections and for those
who wish to make mp3 copies and listen at their leisure.
▪▪ Recorded supplementary session conducted by the tutorial assistants for each of
the modules.

Study Path of each Course:

▪▪ Each course consists of 20-30 recorded sessions. Video and audio recordings are
available for the students.

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▪▪ The student first listens to the audio or video recording and reads the text that
corresponds to Module 1.
▪▪ Having thoroughly studied Module 1, the student then takes the Module 1
test. The test consists of multiple choice questions. The test score is displayed
immediately after the test attempt.
▪▪ After completing the Module 1 test, the student proceeds to Module 2 and follows
the same procedure as for Module 1 till the end of the course.
▪▪ Students are required to submit assignments and research papers also.

IMPORTANT: Once enrolled in a course, you have to complete its coursework within
the semester and within the fixed periods. If you are still confused and want to see
what the course looks like, you can access our DEMO COURSE, which is completely
free. Please click here to download the Demo Course Guide to learn more.

8. Assessment Policy:
There are 4 types of assessments in every course:

a. Module Tests
b. Midterm Exam*
c. Final Exam
d. Assignment / Research Paper

* MA in Islamic Studies courses do not have Midterm Exams

The following tabular column will give you an insight about the method of the tests
and exams:

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As- Where Dura- Num- Ques- When is it Portion Contri- Submis-

sess- can I tion ber of tion conduct- bution to sion Date
ment attempt Ques- Pat- ed? the Final
Type this? tions tern Aggregate

Module At home 10-15 5 MCQ Available The re- 15% Refer to

Tests minutes after every spective Program
module. module Schedule
number here.
Midterm At home 75 min- 50 MCQ Spring Se- All the 30%
Exam utes mester: June modules
before
Fall Semes- the
ter: Midterm
November Exam link
on the
course
page.
Final At an 75 min- 50 MCQ Spring All the 40%
Exam ap- utes Semester: modules
proved August after the
IOU Midterm
center. Fall Semes- Exam till
The ter: the end
proctor February + 5%
at the of the
center content
will covered
have the before
pass- the
word Midterm
for the Exam
exam.
You Excep-
have to tion: All
register Arabic
for an courses
exam will have
center all the
prior to modules
sitting from the
for it. begin-
ning
for the
finals.

Assignments:

All students are required to submit one assignment per course which is a part of
their assessments. The students are given close to two months to complete the
assignment. The work is to be completed online and is submitted on the assignment
link available on every course page.
Assignments contribute towards 15% of the final course aggregate.

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How do I check the plagiarism of my Assignment?

Students may consult any of the following websites to check the plagiarism score
before uploading their assignments on the course page:

1. Grammarly: https://www.grammarly.com/plagiarism-checker
2. EduBirdie: https://edubirdie.com/plagiarism-checker
3. PaperRater: https://www.paperrater.com/plagiarism_checker
4. Copyleaks: https://copyleaks.com/

However, no chance will be given to editing your work once it is submitted on the
course page. The university will not entertain any second attempt request.Your
assignment must have less than 20% plagiarism.

From where can I get content for reference?

You can refer to books, sites and other resources for the content that can help you
build your assignment. However, you must ensure that these sources are authentic.
Besides that, you can always access the resources offered in our libraries:

a. Oxford University Press [OUP]

b. JSTOR
c. IOU E-Library

Please follow this link to access them on a single platform.

For further details on the assignment, please follow this link.

9. Course Evaluation Scheme:

As for the evaluation scheme for the courses, the aggregate of the course work is considered,
which should come up to 60% or more to pass a course.

The following scheme is applicable to:

Bachelor Degree/
Advanced Diploma/ All MAIS courses
Tajweed
Certificate/Asso- except FQH 503
Courses
ciate Degree/IAP/ (FQH 503)
BMAIS

Module Tests 15% 10% 15% 15%

Live Session Attendance - 50% - 5%
Midterm Research - - - 35%
Paper
Final Research Paper - - 50% 45%
Assignment 15% - - -
Midterm Exam 30% 15% - -
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Final Exam 40% 25% 35% -

Pass Mark 60% 60% 60% 60%

10. Attendance Policy

a) Tajweed Courses: As marks are awarded for the recitation during the tajweed
classes [50% of the course grades are from the Live Sessions], it is compulsory to
attend the tajweed live sessions. If a student misses most or all of his/her tajweed
classes, s/he will fail the course and need to repeat it the next semester either
with a grade transfer or start from scratch.

a) Courses with weekly Live Sessions: Attendance is mandatory as 5% of the total

course grade is extracted from the attendance of live sessions.

11. Live Session Policy:

▪▪ For new courses of different undergraduate programs, there will be one weekly
session per course on Friday / Saturday / Sunday. If you miss any of the sessions,
you can later watch the recording. If you watch the recording at your convenient
time, you will be entitled to receive the attendance marks as applicable.
▪▪ For all the existing courses, there will be one live session pre-Midterm and pre-
Final exam each.
▪▪ Schedule for the live sessions can be found here.

For further details on Live Sessions, please visit this link.

12. Tajweed Courses Live Sessions Policy:

Once enrolled in the Tajweed courses at IOU, attendance and recitation in Live
Sessions is compulsory for all students. There are three weekly Live sessions for
Tajweed 101 and Tajweed 102 courses.

IMPORTANT: Recitation in these sessions counts towards 50% of the course grade,
which indirectly means that if you skip these sessions, you cannot pass the course!

For details on registering a group, changing groups, making up for missed classes and
reporting missed grades or teacher issues, please follow this link.

13. Exam Center Registration

All enrolled students are required to register for an exam center for the final exams.
Students are required to check the rules and regulations mentioned here before
registering for an exam center.

1. The list of approved centers can be found here. Students can register for it here.
2. In case none of these centers are appropriate for the student, he/she can register

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for a new center here.

3. If the student is not in his/her country of residence during the time of the exam,
he/she can register for a non-resident center here.
4. If a student will be sitting for exams at 2 centers during the exam period due to
travel / work or other plausible reasons, registration is done here.

For further details, students can follow the following links:

a. Exam Centers
b. Exam Center Registrations

14. Test / Exam Resets

Module Test and Midterm Exam Reset: IOU has set up a special Test Reset Desk and
made a simple application portal for you to submit your reset requests.

To request a reset please go to the dashboard; click on the Quiz Reset Application
Portal icon and fill in and submit the application. The test will be reset within 12 hours
from the time of submission of the request (and in most cases much sooner) if your
application meets the requirements.

IMPORTANT:

a. IOU is under no obligation to reset a test and not all issues allow for a reset.
b. You can only apply for 3 resets for a particular course. If your reset requests go
beyond 3, your country representative will reach out to you and enquire about the
reasons provided by you. Upon approval from him, we will proceed with the reset.

What makes me eligible for a reset?

Module test and exam reset can be applied for the following reasons only:

1. Internet Connection Failure

2. Power failure
3. Server Error
4. Technical issue as hanging up of personal computer.

For further details on how to apply for a reset, please follow this link.

15. Final Exam Reset:

Unlike the module tests and the midterm exams, the procedure to reset the final exam
requires the involvement of the proctor of the registered IOU exam center where the
student is giving his/her exam.

The conditions on which a reset can be requested are:

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▪▪ Internet connection failure

▪▪ Power failure
▪▪ Server error
▪▪ Technical issues such as the computer freezes and restart of the browser or the
whole device is required.

Case 1: If you satisfy any of the above conditions and it is your first reset request of
the final exam of a particular course, then you have to request the proctor to reset the
exam here. The reset will be done immediately and you can proceed to attempt the
exam.

Case 2: If you satisfy any of the above conditions, and it is your second or successive
reset request of the final exam of a particular course, then you are required to follow
the procedure outlined below:

1. Apply for a reset here.

2. Within 30 minutes, the proctor of the center has to send an email from his/her
IOU registered-center email ID to the Exam HelpDesk at examhelp@iou.edu.gm
with the following details:

a. Student’s Full Name:

b. Student’s IOU ID:
c. Student’s Email Address Registered with IOU:
d. Course Name:
e. Reason for Reset Request:

Please note that the reset request will not be processed unless our exam officers
receive the proctor’s email entailing the above details.

3. The IOU exam officers will review the request and if eligible, the exam will be reset
immediately. Subsequently, an email will be sent out to you as well as the proctor
of the exam informing you of the status of your request.

16. Late Exams and Exemptions:

Of the many ways in which IOU provides flexibility for its students, we also have an
exclusive segment called the ‘late period’ which applies to the assessments. Hence,
students have a late exam and assignment period which is usually an extended week
after the regular assessment period. But, if students attempt their assessment (exam/
assignment) in the late period, the grades of that exam or assignment are subject to a
15% deduction.

However, for those with genuine reasons, IOU has an Exemption policy that allows

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students to give their assessments in a late period without suffering the penalty of
grades for late submission.

This exemption is granted only when a valid reason with proper documentation
is provided. Students can gain exemptions from a 15% grade deduction in their
Midterms, Finals and Assignments if it is attempted in the late period.

In order to apply for this and further information, please follow this link.

17. Academic Honesty

Plagiarism
A common form of deception in studies is plagiarism. Plagiarism is sometimes
misunderstood to refer to copying alone; however, plagiarism is much deeper than
just copying. It includes quoting without proper references, collaboration, and stealing
other people’s ideas while passing them off as one’s own. Plagiarism is the “failure to
acknowledge the ideas or writing of another” or “presentation of the ideas or writing
of another as one’s own” and should be read to cover intentional and unintentional
failure to acknowledge the ideas of others. In this context “others” means any
other person including a student, academic, professional, published author or other
resources such as the Internet. The International Open University believes that failing
to acknowledge the use of ideas of others constitutes an important breach of Islamic
and academic values and conventions of the institution.

IOU Stance on Plagiarism: The International Open University will not tolerate
plagiarism in any form, and any student caught plagiarizing will be penalized.
Depending on the severity of the plagiarism, the penalty could range from reduction
of marks to rejection of the paper itself.

With respect to the assignments/research paper, the following constitutes plagiarism:

● Copying someone else’s assignment
● Collaboration and working together on an assignment
● Copying and pasting entire articles from the internet
● Quoting someone else’s work without referencing the author
● Using someone else’s ideas or words without referencing them

To avoid plagiarism, be sure to:

● Use quotation marks around a quote and cite the source.
● Reference all quotations and citations
● Reword/paraphrase. Don’t write word for word what you have read. Take notes
first in your own words, then write your assignment from your notes (not the text).
● For more information on how to properly cite a source, visit the following
websites:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/10314.html

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http://www.infoplease.com/spot/plagiarism.html
You may also test your understanding of plagiarism by using this link:
https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/plagiarism/tutorial/whatis1.html

Similarity Indicator
IOU reserves the right to submit all academic assignments to a plagiarism checker
to produce similarity ratings for each assignment. The similarity indicator provides
a rating of how similar text in the assignment is to resources available on the
Internet. In line with universal academic writing practices, IOU prefers that text
be paraphrased in the words of the student and not quoted directly, with the
original author of the knowledge being duly cited and referenced. As a University-
wide norm, IOU recommends that the similarity indicator does not exceed 20%.

Result of Plagiarism

Assignments that contain a rating higher than or equal to 50% will be

automatically rejected and validated for plagiarism with a manual check by the
tutorial assistant or relevant academic. The student will be given a grade of 0 and
there will be no second chances for submitting the assignment.

The relevant academic will use the similarity rating in determining the final grade
of the submission. Students may consult any of the following websites to check
the plagiarism score before uploading their assignments on the course page:

1. Grammarly: https://www.grammarly.com/plagiarism-checker
2. EduBirdie: https://edubirdie.com/plagiarism-checker
3. PaperRater: https://www.paperrater.com/plagiarism_checker
4. Copyleaks: https://copyleaks.com/

Module Tests & Midterms:

All tests and exams are closed books. Students must not open the books/
website/journal/newspaper while attempting tests/exams. Also, students are not
supposed to share the questions or ask the correct answers of the module tests
with any other student.
Final Examinations:

The Final Exam of each course has to be taken at the exam center, under the
supervision of an IOU approved proctor. It is strictly forbidden for students to ask
the center/proctors for the passwords at any time ( even after the exams have
been completed ). Any student found doing so will have their exams graded at
zero and will face disciplinary action. If due to any misunderstanding a proctor/
center offers you the exam passwords you must not take them under any
circumstances, doing so will result in a zero grade and disciplinary action.

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● During the exams it is forbidden to

▪▪ Refer to notes, books, open other windows on the computer, etc
▪▪ Ask anyone for help with answering questions,
▪▪ Chat with other students, friends etc.
▪▪ Disturb other students, the proctor, members at the center etc. in any way.

18. Thesis Policy:

In order to obtain a graduate or undergraduate degree in any of our disciplines, the
student needs to complete a graduate or undergraduate degree thesis and obtain a
minimum passing score of 60%. Students are given a full semester’s time to complete
the work. However, if due to some reason, they are unable to do so, they can apply for
an extension. All details can be found here.

19. Assignment Grade Appeal

The assignments are graded by our honourable teachers after reviewing the whole
assignments and contemplating on each aspect. However, if the student is not
satisfied with genuine grounds s/he can discuss this with the teacher on email. If the
issue is still not resolved, the student then can approach the HoD and take assistance.

20. Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)

The International Open University’s degree, diploma and certificate programs are
graded according to the following Grade Point Average system besides the marks-
percentage system.

Marks / Code Letter Grade / Description Grade Point Average

95 - 100 A+ 4.00

90 - 94 A 4.00

85 - 89 B+ 3.67

80 – 84 B 3.33

75 - 79 C+ 3.00

70 - 74 C 2.67

65 - 69 D+ 2.33

60 - 64 D 2.00

Below 60 Fail 0.00

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CW Course Waiver received

CT Transfer Credits received

* The asterisk sign (*) in theMark

column denotes that it is a reat-
tempted course
\

a) The concluding score is the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) out of a scale
of 4.00.

b) Passing CGPA score is minimum 2.00 out of 4.00 (this can happen if someone gets
60-64% in each and every course).

c) Maximum score of CGPA that a student may achieve would be 4.00 out of 4.00
(this can happen if he/she gets above 90% in each and every course).

d) This policy provides the students and graduates of the International Open
University to utilize the provisional and graduate transcripts across the globe in
different countries without facing any barrier, as this marking / grading system is
an amalgamation of the British Marks-Percentage System and the Latin Honors
System.

21. Course Waivers:

If you wish to waive a course in your study program and wish to select a replacement course
in its place, you can apply for course waiver. However, it is mandatory that you submit all
necessary documentation to prove that you have sufficient knowledge in this area to warrant
a waiver. If a course waiver is approved, the number of courses required to complete the
degree remain the same. The waiver allows students the option of taking an elective course
rather than a required core course.

Which courses can be waived?

ENG 101, ENG 102 and CMP 101

Is it a paid procedure?
No

For further details and procedures on Course Waivers, please follow this link.

22. Course Exemption Exam Policy:

a. Tajweed Exemption Exam: If a student has advanced knowledge of Tajweed and
seeks exemption from the Tajweed courses of BAIS/BA Arb, s/he can apply for
it by writing an exam for the same. It is a paid process. Further details can be
accessed here.
b. Arabic Exemption Exam: If a student has advanced knowledge of Arabic and seeks
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exemption from the Arabic courses, s/he can apply for it by writing an exam for
the same. It is a paid process. Depending on the score obtained in the exam, the
exemption will apply for the required number of courses. Further details can be
accessed here.

23. Stream Change

Students can apply for the stream change from one program to another by contacting
helpdesk before the end of the enrollment period.

24. Advanced Diploma Stream:

The Advanced Diploma stream comes under the Open Education Program (OEP). OEP is
especially characterized by the university’s aim to cater for the special needs of all students
across the globe who do not have a high school diploma or any equivalent/above provable
education qualification to be admitted to any undergraduate program, or meet the eligibility
requirements to gain admission to the MA in Islamic Studies program (MAIS), yet wish
to study and grow in their learning. The Open Education Program opens its door wide to
accommodate all individuals who are enthusiastic about learning and gaining knowledge.

Features of the Advanced Diploma Program:

a) The maximum duration of the

● 4-year BAIS/BEd/BSc Psy/BSc IBE/BSc IT/BBA-IF/BA Arb Advanced Diploma

course is 12 years.

● 2-year MAIS Advanced Diploma course is 4 years.

The maximum duration implies that a student must finish the program within the
aforementioned time frame.

b) The credits earned do not carry the equivalent of the university credits nor count
toward the admission requirement of any of the accredited degree, diploma, higher
diploma, or certificate program at the IOU.

c) The study materials, curriculum, and classes of the regular undergraduate and
graduate programs, and of the Advanced Diploma program are completely identical
except that Advanced Diploma Students are not required to write a thesis. While the
students share the same classes, discussion forums, and recorded supplementary
sessions conducted by the tutorial assistants, it is not possible to identify who is
enrolled under which program. Hence, there is no discrimination between students
enrolled through the mainstream programs and those of the Advanced Diploma under
OEP. Thus, the students of the Advanced Diploma may attend classes and sit for the
exams freely without any hesitation.

e) The same marking system is applicable for the IOU Advanced Diploma as well.

f) The students will receive a diploma upon the successful completion of the program
that will be stamped and signed by the Ministry of Higher Education of Somalia.
However, it will be clearly mentioned on the certificate and the transcript that this
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diploma does not carry university credits.

25. Audit Stream:

The International Open University has introduced Audit Stream courses for those
students who do not wish to take exams but want to acquire knowledge of the
programs taught at the International Open University in an organized structure. The
Audit Stream courses give possibilities to students to study an undergraduate or
a graduate level program while exempted from taking tests, exams and submitting
assignments. If they wish, they can take tests, research and submit assignments. This
stream is not accredited.

Features of the Program:

● The duration of the semester is the same as for an undergraduate or graduate
degree and so is the fee structure.
● The record of the attended courses will be kept in the database.
● At the end of their study, they are given a Certificate of Attendance from the
International Open University.
● Students are not required to write thesis in this stream of studies

26. Dual Program Enrollment

a) Under the dual program, the IOU students can enroll in two different programs from
two different departments simultaneously. The students have to meet the
requirements of both programs to be eligible to enroll into the dual program. The
criteria are as follows:

● For Bachelor’s / Associate of Science or Arts / Certificate Programs: minimum

requirement is a high school diploma or its equivalent certificate.

● For Higher Diploma: minimum requirement is an accredited bachelor’s degree.

b) The maximal length of the various combinations of the dual program ranges from a
period of minimum 3 to a maximum of 12 years.

27. Additional Course Policy

The students of the various accredited Bachelor’s, Associate Degree, Higher Diploma,
Master’s, Certificate Programs, Dual Program and Open Education Program (excluding
Intensive Arabic Program students) at the IOU are hereby granted the opportunity to
enroll in additional courses from other streams of undergraduate level programs. Such
courses are termed as ‘additional courses’ due to the fact that they are not included
in the specified curriculum of the students’ current streams of studies. The additional
courses may be taken from a combination of other streams of study.

The postgraduate students of the Higher Diploma and the Master’s Programs may
enroll into the courses from among the various undergraduate programs. The Master’s
Degree students may also take courses from other Master’s Programs when they

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become available. Undergraduate students may not take any course from any of the
postgraduate programs. The Intensive Arabic Program (IAP) and Youth Dual Credit
Program (YDCP) students are outside the scope of this policy.

Under this policy, the Dual Program students may enroll in courses from streams other
than their two streams of study.

Important Points to Note:

● The students who wish to take additional courses from other streams under this
policy, need to pay the semester fee as per their main stream of study as described
in Corollary I below.
● At any point in time in a given semester, a student is not allowed to enroll into more
than 9 courses in case of single stream and more than 12 courses in case of dual
stream, among which only one additional course from another stream is allowed per
semester under this policy.
● The courses of Bridge Diploma to MAIS, MAIS and Intensive Arabic Program are not
available under this policy.

Corollary I
Students can pay fees as per their chosen study plan and request helpdesk to enroll
in an additional course which will be included in the course count as per their chosen
study plan.
Corollary II
Students who have completed ARB BMAIS 101, 102 and 201 in BMAIS program,
may take ARB 401 old or 402 old as an additional course during their study of MAIS
program under this policy.

Additional Note:
The prerequisites will still be in place and apply to the additional courses. Therefore, a
student may not enroll in any course that he/she has not completed the prerequisite of.
The exception of Arabic is mentioned above in Corollary II.

28. Grade Transfer

Any student who fails a course by getting low marks, skipping final exams or midterm exams
in a particular course is allowed to retake that course in the following semester without
repeating the whole course from scratch. This is called “Grade Transfer”.

Hence, Grade Transfer entails transferring the particular course grades obtained in a semester
to the next semester so that the student is not required to repeat the completed portion
-excluding assignments- in the following semester.
The grades, excluding the assignment grades, from the particular course are transferred to
the following semester; thus allowing students to complete the remaining portion along
with the assignments in the next semester. The University will not transfer the grades of the
assignments anymore. So students are required to do the assignment in the next semester,
even if they have scored full marks in the previous semester.

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Grade Transfer is accepted in courses where no content or assessment changes were

affected, thus allowing for grades to be transferred without complication.
For the Grade Transfer purpose, an additional flat fee of $20, for one or more courses,
is required to be paid apart from the registration fees, unless students with financial
constraints provide relevant document(s) regarding their condition. Eligibility for exemption
is determined on a case-by-case basis for which a student would need to provide relevant
supporting evidence.

Grade Transfer is applicable for any of the following scenarios:

a. Failed (due to not getting an overall 60% pass mark)
b. Missed certain sections of the course work and failed in the course (like midterm
exams, assignments or final exams). If a student is required to apply for the Grade
Transfer, he/she can contact Helpdesk through the Contact Us form.

29. Course Repetition

Students may repeat a particular course in the following cases:
● Failing a course, or
● Improving the grades.
In case a student repeats the course, final transcript will contain * besides the course grades
which will indicate that it is a repeated course.

30. Graduation Requirements

A student will be awarded a degree/associate degree/certificate at the International Open
University once the university and academic requirements, and the standards of performance
of the program are met. The following criteria are considered:

● Course and credit Requirement:

This includes completion of the mandatory courses as per the curriculum.

● Community Service Hours Requirement:

This includes completion of the community service hours assigned for each program.

● Grades Requirement:
This involves scoring 60% or above in all the mandatory courses of the program.

● Arabic Requirement:
This is applicable to the BAIS program which entails completion of all the Arabic
courses in the program.

● Thesis Requirement:
To obtain a BA, BEd, Bsc, or MA degree, a student needs to successfully complete
the BA / BEd /BSc thesis and obtain a minimum passing score of 60%. Thesis is not a
graduation requirement for the 2-year Associate Degree program or 1-year Certificate

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program.

● University Requirement:
This involves clearance from:
a. Admission Office - Submission of attested hard copies of documents
b. Payment Department - Clearance of all outstanding balances.

● Graduation Fees Requirement:

This includes payment of USD 200 towards the Graduation certificate.

Complete details for the undergraduate programs on this can be accessed here
while postgraduate requirements may be checked here. IAP Students may check the
graduation requirements here

31. Transcripts:
Students can obtain the provisional softcopy of the Transcript or the provisional
hardcopy of the transcript during anytime of their studies through the respective
transcript portal. Also, if a student wants to obtain provisional hardcopy of the
transcript with the university seal on the envelope, he/she can request the same
through contacting Helpdesk. Note that the Final Transcript is only issued along with
the Graduation Certificate.

32. Graduation Degree/Diploma/Certificate:

On the successful completion of the graduation requirements, students are being
awarded Graduation Certificate attested by the Government of Somalia’s Ministry
of Culture and Higher Education. Usually, it takes six to eight months to process the
certificates after a student is declared as a graduate. Meanwhile, if the student so
wishes, he may apply and obtain provisional degree/diploma/certificate.

33. Deferment of Graduation:

Eligible graduates of all the degree, diploma and certificate programs may
defer graduation or may be obligated to defer graduation because of special
circumstances.

An eligible graduate may apply to defer graduation. The Registrar’s Office will
assess the application and approve or reject it based on the nature of the request.
The reasons to be taken into consideration may include the following among other
reasons:

● Students wishing to take additional courses or repeat courses to improve

grades

An eligible graduate may be obligated to defer graduation under particular

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circumstances described as follows:

1. Advanced Diploma falls under the Open Education Program. The students of
this stream of study may complete their high school diploma side by side their
studies at the IOU. However, there must be a gap of minimum 2 years or 4 to
5 semesters between their high school diploma obtainment and receiving a
bachelor’s degree from the IOU.
2. Furthermore, such students’ theses must be deferred to be completed in the
very last semester when they are due to graduate.

34. Abeyance
Students can apply to be placed in abeyance, whereby their studies at the University will
be temporarily suspended. The students need to discuss this matter with Helpdesk.
Procedure:

a. Students will submit their request to be placed in abeyance.

b. The administration will assess the request and suspend the student’s account.
c. Old returning students may request to consider the period they did not study in
the past to be a period of abeyance for them.

Maximum Duration of Abeyance:

Students may apply for a maximum period of 2 years of abeyance.

35. Credit Transfer:

IOU students who have studied and completed one or more of the courses at other
accredited universities may apply for a university credit transfer or college credit transfer.

Credit transfer will only be processed for the courses studied and completed with a
passing grade at an accredited university or college. Credit transfers will NOT be accepted
for subjects studied in schools or private institutions.

A student can request for university credit transfer or college credit transfer for a
maximum of 50% of the total required courses.

Attested supporting documents of external credit transfer must be posted to the

Admissions Office along with other required documents for admission confirmation. The
supporting documents of credit transfer include photocopies of university transcripts
bearing proof of successful completion of relevant courses against which transfer credits
have been approved. Each of the documents must bear a notary stamp and a signature.

Please click here to read the instructions to send CT Applications. If you want further
details on this, please email info@iou.edu.gm

36. Non-Credit courses

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IOU offers special courses which do not add credit to your program, but serve as a means to
bridge the gap between the foundation level and the level that is taught in the program.

a. ARB 100: This course is a noncredit and optional course for those who do not know
how to read and write Arabic script. It develops Arabic reading and writing skills
gradually and logically without requiring the learner to memorize all 28 letters of
the alphabet plus their 112 variations before learning to read and write. It has been
modified with English explanations and presentations to further simplify the learning
process for adult English speakers. This course is not a prerequisite to Arabic 101.
There is a separate fee for this course. You can access further details here.

b. TAJ 100: This course has been designed for all those who have no or little knowledge
of Tajweed rules. Students will attend two weekly live sessions in groups. Each live
session will be 30-minute long. In addition to the live classes, students will cover
20 modules consisting of a video lesson taught by our respected Shaykh Wissam El
Tom. There are no tests and exams in this course. This course is not a prerequisite to
Tajweed 101. There is a separate fee for this course. Please visit this link to enroll in
the course.

c. Study Skills course: It is an optional course with five module recordings. The course
does not have a code or course credits

The aims of the course are designed to enable students to develop academic language
skills such as academic writing and reading, and introduce academic study skills such
as referencing and taking lecture notes. And improve their learning effectiveness,
attitudes, and motivation. All students are enrolled in this course automatically each
semester.

Admission process:
If you are not already registered on our Campus section, you would have to complete the
entire admission process of setting up a new account, uploading the documents and waiting
for the admission confirmation.

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Campus policies
1. Student Identification
Students are granted a unique identification number as soon as they register for any
of the programs in the Degree Campus. All the records of the students are maintained
through the same identification number. Furthermore, students are required to submit
any form of photo ID (driving license/Passport/National ID) so that the University can
confirm the student’s Identity.

2. Privacy
Please read the complete privacy policy here https://iou.edu.gm/privacy/

Financial Policies
1. Scholarships
The International Open University provides scholarships for the following programs at the
Degree Campus:

A. Intensive Arabic Program (IAP)

B. Undergraduate degree program (BAIS/Bsc IT/B.Ed/Bsc Psy/BBA-IF/Bsc IBE/BA Arb)
C. Students must complete the admission process first before applying for a scholarship.
Further details on this can be found here.

2. Foreign Domestic Workers policy

Students can apply for Financial Aid for the Foreign Domestic Workers through the student
committee/representative of the country of their residence. The respective student
committee verifies and recommends the student’s application for this aid. If there is no
local student committee available, the student may apply directly to the IOU Scholarship
Department and submit a letter of recommendation from a local imam /the head of a local
Islamic center / a Muslim college professor along with some supporting financial documents.
This financial aid enables the students to pay their fees according to the country of their
origin. The remaining amount of their fees according to the country of their residence will be
adjusted through the IOU General Scholarship Fund (non-zakah).

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3. Fee Refund Policy

The fees paid to International Open University for the Semester Registration is neither re-
fundable nor transferable under any circumstances. This is due to the modest fee charged.
NOTE:
If the student hasn’t enrolled in even one course after making the payment, then the fees of
one semester may be transferred to the next semester for the same student.
If a student has paid Semester Registration fees in advance and has to pay for other services
like Credits Transfer or Late Drop Charges then this advance payment may be used to cover
those charges if the student so wishes.
One student’s fees will not be transferred to another student under any circumstances.
Students who pay for Accelerated Study Plan are responsible for their decision to choose it.
The fees paid will be considered as the fees paid for one semester as per the plan of their
choice and the entire amount will be applicable even if they later enroll in 6 or less courses.

4. Early Bird Discount

The University announces Early Bird discount before the beginning of the semester. Students
may benefit from this offer if anything is announced in this regard.

Campus Services & Resources

1. Alumni Association
The purpose of the IOU Alumni Association is to establish and maintain Islamic brotherhood
among the alumni members; to build mutually helpful relationships between them and the
IOU; to unite all alumni in support of the University; and to encourage Islamic education
through ties to the University. In the coming years, the IOU Alumni Association will aim to
strengthen the global association and form regional associations that will help IOU to fulfill
its mission of changing the nation and the world situation through appropriate education
until the Last Day.

2. Student Committees
The student committees gather students locally in order to enhance student’s study experi-
ence, provide support through study groups, and contribute to the growth of the University.

By the mercy of Allah, the IOU has been able to reach almost every country across the globe.
Alhamdulillah, many IOU students have been actively spreading awareness and helping IOU
to grow immensely. They have conducted various events, partook in other local events by
putting up stalls, distributing flyers, and other promotional activities. Thus, it joined in chang-
ing the nation through education.

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Become part of your local student committee. Simply fill out the form below and we will
contact you with more details about your local student committee. Participation in activities
conducted by the student committee can be counted toward the mandatory community
service hours.

For detailed information on the roles and responsibilities assigned by the University to its
representatives and volunteers, please refer to this link

3. Office 365 License:

The International Open University offers you an email address @iou-students.com with
50GB of storage for an annual subscription fee of US$10. As an added bonus you’ll get a
FREE Microsoft Office 365 Education Pack that’s worth over US$100! This education pack-
age includes MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OneDrive, One Note, Outlook, Teams, Publisher,
Sway, Skype, Sharepoint, Forms, Stream and more. This offer includes 1TB of OneDrive stor-
age and also allows you to use Office 365 on up to five (5) devices. All this is available at an
annual subscription fee of USD 10.

4. Libraries and Academic Resources:

The International Open University Central E-Library provides the IOU students with resourc-
es from every corner of the world so they may excel in their academic life. The contents of
the academic library present a vast range of journals and other resources, which are ideally
suited for the students’ introduction to independent learning and deep thinking. Additionally,
the resources contained therein support the research of the university faculty, students and
alumni.

The following resources are available in the International Open University Central E-Library:

I. Resources Available Free of Cost for Students and Staff

1. JSTOR
JSTOR provides archives to over one thousand leading academic journals across the
humanities, social sciences, and sciences, as well as select monographs and other
materials valuable for academic work. The entire corpus is full-text searchable, offers
search term highlighting, includes high-quality images, and is interlinked by millions
of citations and references. The following is a list of JSTOR collections available in the
International Open University Central E-Library.

● Arts & Sciences I - XIV

● Life Sciences
● 19th Century British Pamphlets
● Ecology and Botany II
● Business IV
● Ireland
● Hebrew Journals
● Jewish Studies

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2. Oxford University Press

With origins dating back to 1478 CE, Oxford University Press (OUP) is the world’s
largest university press with the widest global presence. The OUP Global Academic
Publishing program spans the entire academic and higher education spectrum, includ-
ing a wide array of scholarly and general interest books, journals, and online products.
The following is a list of OUP collections available in the International Open Universi-
ty Central E-Library:

● Oxford Journals
● Oxford Handbooks Online
● Oxford Scholarship Online
● Grove Art Online
● Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
● Oxford English Dictionary
● American National Biography
● Oxford Quick Reference
● Oxford Textbook of Medicine
● Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine
● Oxford Biblical Studies Online
● Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law
● International Law in Domestic Courts

II. Resources Available for a Nominal Fee

1. Darusalaam
In order to provide the IOU students a platform to access Islamic books in multiple
languages covering a range of topics like theology, jurisprudence, history, education,
psychology and personal development, Darussalam E-Library database has been add-
ed to the collections of the International Open University Central E-Library. Special
fees structure has been arranged for the IOU students offering 50% or more discount
depending on the student’s country of residence based on the human development
index. All currently enrolled students may access the International Open University
Central E-Library from the IOU Degree Campus.

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Convocation Ceremony

The graduates of IOU are honored in an online convocation ceremony. Students can join the
session through the links provided and be part of this event. The convocation ceremony is
usually held in January every year. It takes around six to eight months to process student’s
attested certificate after graduation and the certificates are sent to the students through
courier services.

Disclaimer: This handbook does not constitute a contract between IOU and the Students. IOU
reserve the right to make changes in this handbook when necessary without notice.

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