The program is supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy. Instructors in the program are professors and affiliate faculty of the University of Idaho. Close academic supervision is maintained by the resident staff and through frequent visits by UI faculty members and other officials. University of Idaho videotape courses are used when feasible to supplement the local instruction and to assist in providing consistency and quality of instruction between on and off-campus courses. Courses are also taught via a two-way interactive compressed video system.
Students are able to pursue graduate as well as undergraduate degrees.
In addition to the programs leading to undergraduate or graduate degrees, programs are offered which result in an award of proficiency. These awards require approximately 30 credit hours of selected course work and are specifically designed to establish or upgrade competence in a student's chosen work area. Currently, programs are offered in computer programming, industrial safety, computer electron ics, industrial instrumentation and control, applied mathematics, mechanical design, quality assurance, material technology, process technology, and waste management. As noted previously, the University of Idaho Video Outreach Program is used to supplement local instruction. A variety of the regular courses offered on campus are videotaped and made available to UIIF students.