Take 6-Week Online Courses for Your Degree

Most students spend four years in college before graduating into the workforce and increasing their earnings. The average 2023 grad made $63,721 fresh out of school, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. But what if you didn’t need to wait the full four years to start earning more?

If you want to fast track your degree program, consider taking accelerated courses, like the six-week classes we found below.

Online courses tend to offer more flexibility for your schedule and are available in many subjects, including business, education, and computer science.

Explore our guide to what six-week online courses are available to you.

Six-week online courses are ideal for students who are looking to complete their degree or program quickly. They can help you graduate faster and for less money because it takes less time. Since each course is only six weeks long, you generally experience a more focused curriculum too.

Six-week courses can have a variety of start dates and costs, depending on the program. You can find six-week online courses offered for associate and bachelor’s degrees. Once you’ve earned the credit hours and have them on your transcript, it is often possible to transfer them if you choose to move to another school — though it’s important to check in with your chosen institution to confirm that they’ll accept those credit hours.

You can typically find six-week courses in:

Some six-week courses are worth credit, and some are non-credit options. While non-credit courses typically don’t help you complete your degree, they can offer other benefits such as learning a new skill. Discuss with your advisor if the six-week course you’re interested in will count toward a degree, credential, or other professional development goal.

Bucks County Community College offers online six-week courses throughout every season. The January and March modular offers accelerated courses, including nutrition, introduction to paralegal services, and business law. The March modular typically runs from late March to mid-May, and the January modular typically runs from late January to mid-March. Online course materials are available to students 24/7.

Online proctored exams may come with a fee ranging from $9 to $30. Tuition can range from $170 to $495 per semester credit hour, depending on state residency.

In the fully online classes at Dawson Community College (DCC), no campus visits are required, and you’ll be able to study on your own schedule while still meeting established deadlines.

The entirely online degree options include:

DCC offers fully online credit and non-credit courses that run 6-10 weeks. The courses include topics such as computer applications, teaching and education, and accounting and finance.

Some six-week non-credit courses at DCC include sign language, grant writing, beginning French, and introduction to interior design. The costs of these courses range from around $100 to $200, depending on the subject.

Hawkeye Community College offers Minimesters, which are shortened, intense classes that last a few weeks and are offered in between semesters. They are offered in the winter and summer for the same amount of credits as other courses.

Hawkeye also offers six- and eight-week courses over the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Online courses do not meet in person or at a designated time. These courses include subjects such as accounting, nutrition, and business.

The total tuition and fees per credit hour at Hawkeye are about $235.

The six- and eight-week courses offered at Indiana University (IU) are designed to give busy students the flexibility they need. These accelerated programs in career-relevant fields offer multiple enrollment dates, badges, and micro-credentials that you can add to your resume.

If you want to accelerate your entire program instead of just a class, IU has accelerated bachelor’s programs in nursing, business administration, data science, and mathematics. The cost per credit ranges from $257 to $592 for in-state students and $378 to $627 for out-of-state students.

Michigan Online’s classes are even faster than the ones we already mentioned, lasting only four or five weeks. These courses cover topics like sustainability, data visualization, public health, and artificial intelligence (AI).

These courses are fully online and self-paced and often come with optional certificates. Most are free, but some are not, particularly those that are part of a degree program and may lead to course credit.

Michigan Online also offers accredited online degrees that you can complete in 1-2 years.

High school juniors and seniors can take advantage of Northern Virginia Community College’s (NOVA) accelerated college credit courses that last from 6- to 12-weeks starting in March, June, and July. You don’t need to be in high school, however, to take these asynchronous, self-paced courses.

Tuition costs $190 per credit hour for Virginia residents and $382 per credit hour for out-of-state residents.

NOVA is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and has guaranteed transfer agreements with other colleges and universities both within and outside of Virginia.

Orange Coast College offers affordable online courses that you can complete in 4-10 weeks. Students looking to get into the social sciences can take accelerated courses in topics like anthropology, intro to mass communication, micro and macro economics, and geology.

There is an enrollment fee of $46 per unit. Some online courses meet synchronously, and some require some in-person meetings.

Stanford’s online accelerated six-week courses closely mirror the traditional classroom experience. Through a structured schedule of Zoom lectures and discussions, students can engage with their professors and classmates. Course material like readings, handouts, and other assignments are usually on Canvas.

Stanford’s Continuing Studies are open to the general public, and the only prerequisite is having a high school diploma. Some courses you can take are Chinese calligraphy, financial planning, art history, and business. The cost of each course depends on the class size and its duration, and there is a $35 registration fee charged once a quarter.

SUNY Ulster’s online courses are a flexible opportunity for self-motivated yet busy students. Coursework can be completed on your schedule.

SUNY Ulster offers associate degrees in business administration, computer science, criminal justice, and liberal arts. It also offers certificates in bookkeeping, entrepreneurship, general education, as well as micro-credentials in computer game design, app development, and web development.

Tuition for part-time students costs $228 per credit hour for in-state students and $456 per credit hour for out-of-state students.

The University of Iowa offers over 1,800 distance and online courses and workshops throughout the year, including six-and-a-half-week or below asynchronous courses in chemistry, business, psychology, and journalism.

While enrolled in an online program, you’ll have academic and learning support available to you through the tutoring center, writing center, and academic advising. Tuition and fees are determined by the program of study, semester hours, and if it is an undergraduate or graduate course.

If you’re looking to accelerate your course on your own time, Metropolitan State University of Denver offers Self-Paced Online (SPO) courses that run from 8-18 weeks but can be finished in as few as four weeks.

Courses cost $308 per credit hour and allow students more flexibility in completing their education.

The University of West Georgia offers eight-week courses over the fall, spring, and summer that include topics such as anthropology, art, and communication. You can complete these accelerated courses in half the time it traditionally takes. The online courses are flexible and affordable options that have the same academic standards as in-person ones.

The University of West Georgia is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Fully online courses are charged the general tuition rate plus an online learning fee but charged fewer fees overall. Additionally, there are no additional charges for out-of-state residents for online courses.

The total cost of tuition and fees for a six-week online course depends on the program you enroll in. Most colleges and universities charge by credit hour with typical cost of the above courses ranging from $100 to $400 per credit hour.

Regardless of how long — or short — your program is, you want to make sure you receive a quality education that will lead to a credential of some kind and a return on your investment.

One way to ensure the quality of a program is through programmatic accreditation. Many colleges and universities are accredited by their regional accreditors or by industry accreditors — usually composed of industry experts and leaders.

You can determine if an accelerated six-week course is worth it for you by comparing and reviewing your academic and professional goals. Be sure to also consider the cost, program length, and projected return on investment for the course you are considering. Each course you take should ideally be another step in earning your degree or credential.

Alternatively, you may also enroll in some of these courses to build up specific skills or follow a personal passion. A six-week course could be beneficial to you to explore your interests since they don’t require a huge time commitment and are cheaper than a traditional semester or traditional-length course.

Be sure to discuss with your advisor if a six-week course is right for you.