Earn college credit in just 8 weeks—on a schedule that works for your life.
New Classes Start Every 8 Weeks!
What Are 8-week Classes?
COA’s 8-week courses offer full-semester credit in a shorter, focused format—allowing students to move forward and reach their goals sooner!
Who Should Consider 8-Week Classes?
- 8-week courses are a great option if you:
- Are ready to start college but prefer a shorter commitment
- Are already enrolled and want to add or adjust a class
- Are balancing work or family responsibilities
- Prefer focusing on one or two courses at a time
- How 8-Week Courses Fit Into a Semester
- Start at different points during the term
- Stack sessions to build full-time progress
- Maintain steady momentum without overload
Why Choose 8-Week Classes?
Stay Focused
- Take 1–2 courses at a time instead of juggling a full 16-week schedule.
Flexible for Any Schedule
- 100% online options support busy work and family lives.
- Blended and hybrid options are available for select courses for those who want a mix of online and face-to-face learning.
- Multiple start dates provide convenient entry points each term.
Ideal Pacing for Full-Time & Part-Time Students
Example: Full-time student schedule for an Associate in Arts Degree
| Term | Courses | Total Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1st 8-Weeks | ACA 122 (1), ENG 111 (3), ART 111 (3) | 7 |
| 2nd 8-Weeks | ENG 112 (3), PSY 150 (3) | 6 |
| Semester Total | 13 |
If you want to complete your Associate in Arts in two years, you should take at least one additional class per year. You could take classes in the summer also.
Program total required for graduation with an Associate in Arts degree: 60-61
Confidence Through Quick Wins
- Frequent course completions boost motivation.
- Students can adjust the pacing each session to stay successful.
FAQ
Many courses will be offered in an eight-week format, but some programs and courses will remain in a 16-week or slightly shorter format due to labs, hands-on work, high contact hours or other factors.
Eight-week classes will be offered in a variety of delivery formats: in-person, in-person combined with online (blended or hybrid), and completely online.
If you don’t already have an email account, you may obtain a free one at websites such as Gmail™, Hotmail™ or Yahoo™. You must have a valid email address to access our system. All notices such as your application receipt and the status of your application will be sent to your email account. We won’t send any paper correspondence.
Academic expectations for eight-week classes are the same as for 16-week classes. Assignments are due more frequently, and there will be more work to complete weekly, so it can feel more challenging. It is important to remember that you should only be taking half the number of classes at any given time, so your overall workload per term will be comparable to the 16-week term. We recommend taking no more than two or three classes every eight weeks.
A minimum of 12 credits is considered a full-time student in a semester. That means 12-16 credits per semester, so the college recommends registering for 6-8 credits in the first eight-week and 6-8 credits in the second eight-week. As long as you register for a combined total of 12 credits in one semester, you will still be a full-time student.
If you average two 3-credit classes per eight-week term, you will need to take a couple of classes in the summer to complete a degree in two years. Alternatively, you could take one additional class in two of your eight-week terms. Be sure to talk to your Academic Advisor about the best approach to building your course schedule to reach your goals.
You might have a class with higher contact hours per week than the listed credit hours because of a lab component. The number of contact hours tells you how much time you can expect to spend either in the classroom/lab or working online. Most math and science classes with labs will be 16-week courses. Shorter 10 week options are also available in the summer.
You will still register for all courses (1st 8eight-week, 2nd 8-week, and 16-week, etc.) prior to at the start of the semester. After the semester has started, adding extra classes may require you to pay for those courses out of pocket, and dropping classes may result in owing the college money.
COA offers a variety of course lengths, with a strong focus on its 1st 8-week and 2nd 8-week sessions. These 8-week terms allow students to concentrate on just 1–2 courses at a time, helping them stay focused and manage their workload more effectively. In addition to the 8-week options, COA also offers 16-week, 14-week, 12-week, and 10-week courses to provide flexibility in scheduling.
Students who sign up for 1st 8-week, 2nd 8-week, and 16-week courses before the start of the semester only pay tuition and fees once. However, students who add a course after the beginning of the 16-week semester could potentially face additional tuition and fees to cover the cost of that course. Please check the important dates webpage.
A CCP student can register for an eight-week course. However, they will need to consult first with their CCP Advisor Liaison and high school counselor.
Certification processing will remain the same, however, if you have questions, contact Robyn Gram ([email protected]) for additional information.
If your question was not included above or if you need further clarification on a question, contact your Academic Advisor or email [email protected].