Best 4-Week Online College Credit Courses [2024 Guide]
By Kama Offenberger
Edited by Tania Staley
Updated on September 18, 2024
Completing a degree takes substantial time and effort, but 4-week online college courses can make it possible to graduate faster.
Accelerated online courses offer the same opportunities to gain knowledge and develop skills as longer classes, but they operate much faster.
If you are ready to finish your degree and begin your career, taking 4-week courses could be the answer.
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Methodology: The following school list is in alphabetical order. To be included, a college or university must be regionally accredited and offer 4-week courses online or in hybrid format.
Anne Arundel Community College offers 4-week online courses in three formats: online, online sync, and online blended.
Online courses have deadlines, but no set meeting times, while online sync courses do have set meeting times. Online blended courses may require proctored exams or other in-person activities. Available subjects include communication, business, and management.
Anne Arundel Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
California State University – San Marcos offers 4-week, for-credit online and hybrid courses in subjects such as communication, biology, and economics. These courses are designed to be fully transferable to other colleges and universities.
Up to 24 credits completed as a non-matriculated student may be counted toward a degree from CSUSM.
California State University – San Marcos is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
The College of Southern Nevada offers short-term, 4-week classes year-round. Available online courses in this format include General Psychology, Principles of Sociology, Introduction to Research Methods, and Issues in Substance Abuse.
Courses are also available in face-to-face and hybrid formats.
The College of Southern Nevada is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
Up to 15 credits may be earned from online courses at Cornell University. Online courses at Cornell are available in a range of subjects, such as business, public policy, and engineering. These courses can be 3 to 16 weeks long. Enrollment is open year-round.
Cornell University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Fairfield University offers 2-week and 4-week undergraduate courses online during the winter. Courses are worth 3 credits each and available in a variety of subjects, including marketing, international business, communication, English, history, mathematics, philosophy, and physics.
These accelerated courses are designed to help students earn their degrees faster.
Fairfield University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
Harvard University offers a variety of 4-week online courses. Options include High-Dimensional Data Analysis, Religious Literacy: Traditions and Scriptures, Big Data Solutions for Social and Economic Disparities, and Entrepreneurship Essentials.
Some online courses have live meetings, and others do not. Enrollment options are available year-round.
Harvard University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
Johnson County Community College offers courses during the winter session that are just 4 weeks long and designed to help students use their winter break to get ahead on their degrees.
Up to 4 credit hours may be enrolled in at a time during this session, and grades appear on students’ transcripts for the fall semester.
Johnson County Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Louisiana State University offers open-enrollment, for-credit online courses that are self-paced but may be completed in just 4 weeks.
Courses available in this format include Economic Principles, Introduction to Political Theory, Introduction to Psychology, and Interpersonal Communication.
Louisiana State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Montclair State University offers winter session courses that provide students the opportunity to earn up to 4 credits in just 4 weeks to help accelerate their degree program.
Some winter session courses allow students to explore topics in fields such as art history, biology, and political science not covered in regular semester courses. Courses are open to both Montclair students and visiting students.
Montclair State University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
At National University, a full degree can be earned through courses that are just 4 weeks long. Online degrees are available in subjects such as education, healthcare, engineering, and technology.
NU’s degree programs are designed to be flexible to meet the needs of adult learners.
National University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
During the summer term, Northwestern University offers online, for-credit courses that are 1 to 10 weeks long.
Course possibilities that are 4 weeks long or less include Introduction to Political Theory, Conversation and Culture in the Arab World, Modern Cosmology, and Elementary French.
Northwestern University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Orange Coast College offers accelerated courses designed to help students get ahead in earning their degrees. Courses are as short as 4 weeks long and available online, in hybrid formats, and at multiple campus locations.
Meetings may be held during the daytime or evening. Course possibilities include Introduction to Computer Graphics, History and Appreciation of the Cinema, and General Geology.
Orange Coast College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Purchase College offers summer session courses that are just 4 weeks long. Some courses have synchronous meetings, while others do not.
Potential course options include Short Fiction, Fundamentals of Arts Management, Social Media and the Arts, Mathematics for Contemporary Life, and Precalculus.
Purchase College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Southern Illinois University’s online courses are designed to be flexible and convenient. They vary in length, but many are available in an accelerated format.
Potential course options include Introduction to Taxation, Financial Reporting I and II, Medical Terminology, Brand Management, and Operations and Supply Chain Management.
Southern Illinois University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
The University of California – Los Angeles offers hundreds of courses through its online extension school. Courses are available in business, management, engineering, environmental studies, public policy, social sciences, accounting, and education.
Some courses hold real-time meetings via Zoom, while others are self-paced.
The University of California – Los Angeles is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
Online courses at the University of Kansas are 4, 8, or 16 weeks long and taught by the same instructors who teach on campus.
Courses may be synchronous or asynchronous and are available in many subjects, including accounting, design, anthropology, civil engineering, and African American studies.
The University of Kansas is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
The University of Missouri – St. Louis offers online summer courses that begin in May and are 4, 8, or 12 weeks long. Potential courses available in the 4-week format include Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Interpersonal Communication I, and Principles of Microeconomics.
The University of Missouri – St. Louis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
The University of New Mexico offers accelerated online courses in many subjects, including history, communication, political science, computer science, and psychology. Some online courses require web conference meetings or on-campus proctored exams.
The University of New Mexico is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
The University of Phoenix offers online continuing education courses for schoolteachers and administrators that are just 4 weeks long and designed to fit into busy schedules.
Potential course offerings include Personnel Administration for Educators, School Law for Educators, and Ethical and Legal Issues for Administrators.
The University of Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
The University of South Carolina’s online distributed learning courses are available in several formats, including self-paced, synchronous, and mixed.
Potential course offerings include Freedom Papers: Narratives of Race and Nation, General Biology, General Chemistry II, and Juvenile Delinquency. Some courses may require proctored exams.
The University of South Carolina is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Accelerated online courses allow you to learn valuable knowledge and skills and earn your degree rapidly. Schools offer 4-week online courses for a wide range of majors, but the following are some of the most popular options.
Select the program that most interests you to jump to that section of the guide:
These are just some of the options available. Read on to explore your options and decide which program is right for you. If none of these options capture your interest, you can use our “Find My Program” tool below to explore more options.
In accounting courses, you’ll learn how to create, review, and analyze financial documents and gain a deeper understanding of tax systems.
Some schools offer specialized auditing, forensic accounting, or management accounting programs.
After graduating with a degree in accounting, you could become an accountant, financial analyst, or economist.
.0Art and design courses combine historical and theoretical knowledge and practical skills. You’ll study art history, artistic styles, and design techniques.
Many specialization options are available for students interested in art and design, including web design, graphic design, interior design, animation, and art education. After completing your courses, you could pursue a career as an illustrator, teacher, or game designer.
Business administration courses can be beneficial if you hope to take on management or administrative roles.
Core subject areas in business administration include finance, marketing, information technology, and human resources. Once you complete your business administration degree, you could become a human resources specialist, manager, or business consultant.
Business management courses can help you develop leadership skills and team management strategies. Your courses will cover strategic planning, organizational behavior, and operations management.
You may also have the opportunity to take specialized courses focused on areas such as business analytics or international business.
A business management degree is a logical option to become a project manager, community manager, or office manager.
Computer science courses cover programming, data structures, and network management. You’ll learn about current technology and upcoming trends in the field.
You could take online computer science courses to complete a degree or upgrade your existing skills in this ever-evolving field. There are many certification options in the field of computer science.
After earning a degree in computer science, you could work as an information security analyst, software developer, or network architect.
In your counseling courses, you’ll learn how to communicate clearly and effectively, evaluate patient progress, and use different therapeutic techniques. You’ll study psychology, human growth and development, and biology.
Counselors work with patients in developing coping strategies and overcoming challenges related to mental health, families and relationships, and substance abuse. They work in hospitals, outpatient facilities, and private practices.
Taking criminal justice classes can prepare you for a career as a law enforcement officer, corrections officer, or paralegal.
Classes in this field focus on criminology, forensics, cybercrime, and law. You’ll study legal system history, motivating factors behind criminal behavior, and court system operations.
Cybersecurity professionals protect computers and networks from viruses, hacking, ransomware, and other threats. Cybersecurity courses focus on essential programming, networking, data collection, and coding information.
After completing coursework in cybersecurity, you can pursue a position as a security engineer, cybersecurity manager, network administrator, or forensic computer analyst.
Prospective teachers must have a bachelor’s degree to become licensed and certified. Accelerated online courses in education allow students to complete their licensure requirements faster.
Education courses cover classroom management, assessment, diversity, instructional strategies, and curriculum development. Depending on the degree and licensure earned, you could work as an elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher or teach a specialization, such as math, science, or music.
While enrolled in emergency management classes, you’ll learn how to coordinate responses to different emergencies, such as natural disasters, violence, or chemical spills, and protect human lives and property.
With a degree in emergency management, you could work as an emergency director, police supervisor, safety specialist, or fundraiser. You may find employment in hospitals, government agencies, or private businesses.
Reading, writing, and communication skills are vital for nearly every major, so taking online accelerated English courses can help you advance in your English bachelor’s program or complete core requirements for another major.
Taking English classes will expose you to different writing styles and rhetorical techniques. English majors often become teachers, writers, or public relations specialists. You could also use a bachelor’s in English to pursue an advanced degree in a related field, such as literature or law.
In your environmental management courses, you explore water distribution, soil erosion, waste management, and other environmental topics. You’ll study the scientific aspects and government policies and regulations.
Potential career paths for environmental management majors include nature conservation, environmental consulting, sustainability consulting, and environmental planning. Professionals in this area also help develop and implement public policies related to the environment.
Finance professionals understand how financial systems and strategies work, allowing them to offer insights as financial analysts, consultants, and advisors.
After earning a degree in finance, you could become an economist, accountant, or loan officer. You could also pursue a career in financial analysis and reporting, risk management, or investment strategies.
Fire science is the study of how fires begin and how they can be suppressed. You’ll explore topics related to fire prevention, fire behavior, and emergency response strategies.
A degree in fire science can lead to a career as a firefighter in different environments, including cities and wildland areas. Fire engineers, emergency managers, and fire inspectors can also benefit from these studies.
Completing accelerated forensic science courses is a strategic way to jumpstart a criminal investigator, crime scene technician, or forensic scientist career. These professionals collect and analyze evidence present at the scene of a crime.
In your studies, you’ll explore DNA analysis, immunology, serology, trace evidence, physical evidence, and other topics related to crime scene investigation.
In health sciences courses you’ll study sociology, psychology, exercise science, and public health. These classes are designed to teach you about mental, physical, and emotional wellness and how to support clients and patients facing health challenges.
Earning a degree in health sciences can allow you to pursue a career as a dietitian, respiratory therapist, surgical technician, occupational therapy assistant, or physical therapy assistant.
Healthcare administrators are responsible for overseeing healthcare facilities and departments. With a degree in healthcare administration, you could become a medical director, human resources manager, healthcare consultant, or nursing home manager.
To help you develop the necessary skills for these professions, you’ll receive training in quality management, statistics, psychology, and human resources.
Human services courses will allow you to develop knowledge and skills related to helping people overcome challenging situations. Earning a human services degree can allow you to pursue work as an adoption specialist, probation officer, or case manager.
To ensure an understanding of human behavior and crisis intervention, you’ll take ethics, case management, psychology, and communication courses while earning a human services degree.
Completing humanities courses can help you develop well-rounded skills and knowledge useful in many careers and industries, including editing, event planning, career coaching, and teaching. Students in humanities classes explore how the world works and often have advanced creative skills.
As a humanities major, you can take history, art, music, theater, or religious studies courses. These classes are also often basic requirements for majors in other fields.
Information technology courses serve as excellent preparation for a career as a software developer, computer systems analyst, web developer, or IT support specialist. All these careers require advanced knowledge and skills in computer technology.
For an IT degree, you’ll take web design and development, programming and logic, data communication, and operating systems courses.
Legal studies courses cover civil procedure, constitutional law, legal writing and research, contracts, and other related legal topics. These classes can give you a greater understanding of legal systems and how they operate.
After graduating with a legal studies degree, you could become a police officer, paralegal, or compliance officer. You could also use your legal knowledge to work in business or real estate.
Liberal arts courses encompass a wide range of subjects, including history, literature, writing, philosophy, and creative arts. These courses often satisfy core academic requirements for other majors and provide a well-rounded education.
Because of the diversity of the degree, you can pursue many careers with it. Journalism, writing, human resources, and artistry are just some of the career fields well-suited to this degree.
As a marketing student, you’ll study consumer behavior, product promotion, sales and services, and customer engagement. You’ll also take classes in marketing principles, finance, and economics.
In addition to working as a marketing associate or assistant, you could also become a market research analyst, sales manager, public relations specialist, or social media manager.
Medical coding courses cover medical terminology, diagnostic and procedural coding, records management, and healthcare communication. They teach how to handle sensitive information carefully and securely.
Education in medical coding is essential if you hope to work as a medical biller, coding specialist, medical records technician, or billing analyst. These professionals are key to the successful operation of medical facilities.
Nurses are vital healthcare professionals who work in hospitals, community health clinics, rehabilitation facilities, and long-term care facilities. Earning a nursing degree can allow you to begin a career as a nurse or advance from a licensed practical nurse to a registered nurse.
You’ll take courses in anatomy and physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, and other nursing fundamentals.
Earning a nutrition degree is a logical option if you want to begin a career as a dietitian, nutritionist, food product developer, or nutritional therapist.
Your nutrition courses can help you develop a deep understanding of the relationship between food and human health. To complete a nutrition degree, you’ll study food science, nutrition and disease, counseling strategies, and nutrition assessment.
Many colleges and universities offer online accelerated psychology courses. You can take classes exploring social, clinical, developmental, or forensic psychology, all of which take different approaches to examining human behavior and issues related to mental health.
Completing a psychology degree could lead to a career as a psychologist, behavior specialist, counselor, or therapist. Some of these careers require master’s degrees and licensure, while others are accessible with a bachelor’s degree.
Public administration professionals oversee operations at nonprofit organizations and government agencies. To do so, they need skills in project management, resource development, and quantitative methods.
Completing a public administration degree can allow you to work as a case manager, housing director, city manager, or budget analyst.
If you have a passion for helping people, earning a degree in social work can provide you with the training needed to pursue a career as a social worker, health educator, or outreach worker.
Social work courses focus on the skills needed to engage with and support people. You’ll study social work principles, case management, child development, political science, and other related topics.
Many of society’s everyday activities rely on technology, and software developers create unique applications for personal and professional use. Software development courses teach how to design and build new software programs.
Earning a degree in this field can allow you to gain expertise in software development. You’ll study programming, program design, and algorithms. These classes can prepare you for work as a software engineer, game developer, or applications developer.
Although completing a college class in 4-weeks may sound intimidating, there are many advantages to moving through your courses so quickly. These are some of the most significant benefits:
Accelerated online college courses, including 5 week online college courses, can allow you to advance through your degree and gain new skills faster than you would if you were enrolled in traditional classes, giving you a head start on your professional path.
The admissions requirements for accelerated college degree programs are often very similar to those for traditional programs. Common criteria include:
You may also be asked to complete an interview or information session.
To get the most value from an accelerated college program, ensuring it is regionally accredited is key.
Regional accreditation is awarded to schools that meet quality standards. To be awarded regional accreditation an academic institution must undergo a rigorous assessment process and prove its curriculum, faculty, and services are up to par.
As a result, employers often prefer job candidates with accredited degrees.
Attending a regionally accredited school is also beneficial if you want to change schools before graduating or earn advanced degrees. Courses taken at a school with regional accreditation are more likely to transfer to other colleges.
A 4-week college class program is an accelerated academic program that condenses the material for a course into a single month rather than spreading it across three to four months.
Typically, schools will only allow you to take 1 to 2 accelerated courses at a time because the quick schedule requires more focus and work in a short time. Taking fewer courses at a time will allow you to dedicate more focus and time to your lectures, labs, homework, and exams for a single course.
Accelerated 4-week courses are popular because they allow students to complete degree requirements faster.
The material covered during a 4-week college course usually has the same difficulty as the material for a longer class. The difference lies in the speed at which it is covered.
In a 4-week online course, you’ll have less time to grasp complex subjects. You’ll have less time to review the course content, seek help from a tutor, and prepare for exams. Accelerated courses also require more time and energy investment. This can be challenging to balance around other commitments.
In a 4-week summer session, college credits can be earned in weeks rather than months.
Many condensed college programs encourage students to take courses year-round rather than only during the fall and spring semesters. Although you may not be required to take classes over the summer, it’s a good strategy if you want to graduate quickly and save money on tuition.
Many colleges and universities offer general education courses in history, English, math, and other core requirements during accelerated summer sessions, freeing students to take major-specific courses during longer semesters.
If you have transfer credits or enroll in an accelerated program, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1 to 2 years is possible with most majors.
If you’ve never taken college courses, you can still significantly shorten your degree completion time by taking 4-week online courses.
Some advanced courses with laboratory requirements may be challenging in an accelerated format, and degrees with practicum requirements, such as education, will take longer to complete.
Yes, 4-week online college courses are worth it for many students.
Most traditional bachelor’s degree programs require around 4 years of full-time study.
Accelerated college courses online can allow you to start your career much sooner. You can also save on college expenses and earn a professional salary faster.
If you already know what kind of work you want to do in the future, you can get started as soon as possible by taking 4-week college courses online. Rather than completing additional electives or trying out a variety of fields, you can dive straight into your preferred academic path.
You can gain the same knowledge and skills as those taking 16-week courses but do so in a much shorter timeframe. As a result, you can become well-equipped for the professional world faster.
If you’re ready to kickstart your career, you can explore online accelerated degree programs with 4-week courses using our “Find My Program” tool.
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