Take 4-Week Online Courses for Your Degree

If the typical semester-long college format doesn’t neatly fit your schedule, you could utilize four-week online courses to expedite the time it takes to earn college credit.

Accelerated online courses cut down the number of weeks spent in a typical 15-week term to as little as four weeks. Four-week online college courses are no walk in the park. Condensing a full semester of study into one month entails a greater workload.

However, the shortened timeline could be worth it if you can fit a four-week course into your schedule to go toward a degree or earn a professional credential.

Four-week online college credit courses allow students to immerse themselves in a single course and earn credit for that class in just a month. Rather than taking multiple classes over a semester, students typically take just one four-week course at a time.

Typically, you’ll then transfer those credits to the institution of your choice to use toward an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree.

Other four-week online courses culminate in a professional credit. These can help you advance your career, learn new skills, or explore topics outside of your typical wheelhouse.

These courses tend to be more rigorous than semester-long ones. Programs must cover the same material in a shorter amount of time, requiring more attention from students.

Many types of institutions offer online college courses that can be completed in four weeks. This includes community colleges, public universities, and online-only institutions.

MSU Denver recently began offering two eight-week, self-paced online credit courses:

The normal timeline to complete these courses is eight weeks. However, MSU Denver says students can complete them “in as little as four weeks.”

National University offers four-week and eight-week course options at both the associate and baccalaureate levels. Classes begin at the start of every month. And with over 150 degrees available, there’s a good chance you’ll find a course aligned with your interests or goals.

This public community college offers nearly two dozen eight-week online courses that can be completed in as little as four weeks. The classes cover a wide range of topics, including real estate, computer information systems, management, film, and hospitality.

Most courses for the spring semester were for three credits and required an estimated seven hours of meeting time per week.

WGU’s model is competency-based, meaning students can complete courses as soon as they “demonstrate competency.”

This means many courses can be completed in as little as four weeks. If you’re taking a class you already have some expertise in, you may be able to fly through the course materials and pass exams much more quickly than other students.

The University of Maryland Global Campus’ summer accelerated program features condensed, four-week sessions. This option is available for subjects such as criminology, cybersecurity, information technology, and nutrition.

Summer accelerated classes are only available to returning University of Maryland students or transfer students with at least 45 transfer credits.

Four-week online course costs vary by institution.

At National University, for example, baccalaureate programs typically cost $370 per credit. At MSU Denver, the average undergraduate tuition rate is just over $315 per credit hour. Meanwhile, edX allows students to audit many of its classes and programs for free, but students must pay to receive credit or a certificate.

It’s worth noting that private colleges and universities tend to charge more than public institutions.

Four-week online classes are fast-paced, which can be both a blessing and a curse. The shorter timeline may also come with an increased workload, so balance your priorities carefully.

If you need credits or a certificate in a hurry, a four-week online course could be right for you.

Just be sure that you have a month to dedicate to it, that you’re not overpaying for the course, and that, in the end, the credits or certificate you earn do what you expect them to: help land you a job or contribute toward a degree.