Do online schools follow the typical school year calendar?

It seems as if students pursuing online degrees are constantly working, doesn't it? Well, it is actually true! The calendar year at an online school can be drastically different from the calendar year at a traditional campus based program. Because online colleges do not need to work around holidays, weather, or summer vacation – they are at liberty to run continually throughout the year, if that is what they choose to do. In this fashion, students enrolled in online education programs are able to complete their degree programs in significantly less time then their campus based counterparts. For this reason, pursuing online degrees is a very appealing option for many students!

Typically, online degrees propose the same amount of classes and class work, but do not run in traditional “semesters.” Whereas a traditional college will require that a full time student enroll in a certain amount of course hours over a time frame of a number of months, with month long (or longer) break periods between semesters – online schools tend to run continuously throughout the year. Instead of enrolling in five 3 credit courses over the course of four months and completing them all at the same time – an online student will often perform the coursework from one class over the course of one month, and complete that class before moving on to the next. These classes occur year round, through the time periods in which a campus based college program would contain vacations. In this way, a student works continuously for two solid years before obtaining an accelerated degree. The same amount of coursework is completed as would be with a traditional four year degree, but in half the time.

In most cases, online colleges run continually throughout the year, taking short breaks around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Students do not typically receive time off for “Winter Break” in January, or “Spring Break” in March, when their campus based counterparts will be granted time off. Summers are not a three month vacation either. An online learner can expect to complete two to three of their courses over the summer months, with one great benefit – they will not be sitting in a sweaty classroom, as they can complete their coursework anywhere that has internet access! What better place to complete some coursework then next to the pool?

Students pursuing online education can expect to work hard, with little break – but the benefits outweigh the difficulty! Instead of working for nearly half of a decade to earn that degree – you will earn it in an accelerated fashion, after only approximately two years of hard work! If a student deems that they need to take a break, classes run continuously, so they can take a break the length of one class session, typically between four and six weeks. Students can then pick right back up where they left off.

More Online Education Questions?

If you have more questions about online degrees, go back to our frequently asked questions about online education page, or call 1-866-944-2648 to talk with an online education expert.