6-Week Online College Courses [2024 Guide]
By Joy Miller
Edited by Tania Staley
Updated on October 2, 2024
The accelerated schedule of 6-week online college courses can help you quickly earn a college degree from the comfort of your home.
Do you have a jam-packed schedule but still dream of furthering your education? Does your life never seem to slow down enough to fulfill your dream of earning a degree?
Don’t give up on that dream! Accelerated classes can help!
Many degrees can be earned online, and these programs are designed to accommodate the schedules of working adults.
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Many online programs, in a variety of fields, offer 6-week classes, but some majors can be found offered more often in accelerated formats. These are some of the most popular ones:
Click on the link of the majors that interest you to learn more.
Methodology: Our selection methodology for universities and colleges hinges on two essential criteria: accreditation and flexibility.
We only feature accredited institutions to ensure they meet high academic standards. They must also offer 6-week online courses and cater to students seeking flexible learning options. Our list is presented in alphabetical order. No ranking or quality comparison is implied.
Since 1964, Bucks County Community College has been helping students earn certificates, occupational associate degrees, and transfer associate degrees. This Pennsylvania school offers classes in health sciences, language, behavioral science, arts, business, and additional disciplines. More than 20 associate degrees can be earned fully online.
Bucks County Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Approximately 13,000 students enroll in classes at Butler Community College each year. This school has been operating in Kansas since 1927 and has grown to offer nearly 100 different programs.
Butler is a member of the Online Learning Consortium. The college offers nine online degrees and hundreds of digital classes.
Butler Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
At Dawson Community College, excellence is highly valued. This includes excellence in academics, student engagement, and financial responsibility. The school was founded in Montana in 1940. Dawson Community offers an online program through which students can take just a few classes or earn an associate degree.
Dawson Community College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
Nearly 6,000 students take classes from Finger Lakes Community College each year. Founded in 1965, the school has four New York campuses and an online program. Thanks to the school’s 19:1 student-faculty ratio, learners can engage frequently with their teachers while working toward certificates or associate degrees.
Finger Lakes Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
About 1,500 students earn certificates or degrees from Hawkeye Community College each year. Since the school’s founding in 1966, more than 50,000 people have completed a degree program there. The college values education accessibility for everyone, believing education can lead to successful, productive lives.
Hawkeye Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Students of all ages, from teenagers to senior citizens, are welcome at Indiana University. This school, which has been around since 1820, enrolls more than 90,000 students, the majority of whom study at the undergraduate level, each year. Indiana University has nine campus locations and online programs.
Indiana University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Lone Star College consistently ranks among the top schools in the US for the number of degrees it awards each year.
Lone Star enrolls nearly 90,000 students each semester. Students can earn certificates or associate degrees in public safety, business, engineering, communications, health sciences, and more.
Lone Star College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
About 15,000 students take classes from Normandale Community College in Minnesota each year. With an average class size of 24 students, the school keeps class sizes small. In addition to on-campus classes, NCC offers the opportunity to earn an online associate degree or certificate in business or liberal education.
Normandale Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
With more than 74,000 students each year, Northern Virginia Community College is one of the largest community colleges in the US. The school offers about 160 associate and certificate programs. Classes can be taken online or at multiple campus locations.
Northern Virginia Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Each semester, students can choose from more than 2,500 classes and 80 programs at Oakton Community College in Illinois. The courses are offered at two campuses, in various community locations, and online.
Oakton opened in 1969 with a mission to provide access to high-quality education.
Oakton Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.
When Pace University opened in 1906, it had only one classroom. Today, the school has campuses in two New York cities and offers online courses. More than 13,000 students attend this university each year. Pace students can benefit from the Pace Path, an educational approach that involves classroom learning, engaging experiences, and guidance from caring mentors.
Pace University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Adult learners can gain a Purdue education through Purdue University Global, the school’s online campus. It offers over 175 fully online programs. Through Purdue’s ExcelTrack, learners can earn credit for their previous knowledge and professional experience.
Purdue University Global is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.
New Jersey’s Rider University has a student-faculty ratio of 12:1, and nearly all faculty members hold terminal degrees. The school began in 1865 and now has more than 60,000 worldwide. Classes can be attended at one of two campuses or online.
Rider University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Also known as Ulster County Community College, SUNY Ulster is a community college that’s part of the State University of New York system. The school opened in 1963. Today, there’s a student-faculty ratio of 19:1, and over 3,500 students take classes each year.
SUNY Ulster is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
Over 23,000 undergraduate students and more than 8,000 graduate students enroll at the University of Iowa each year.
The university, which is well-known for its affiliated hospital, has been educating students since 1847. Today, the school has grown to offer more than 200 academic programs and over 5,000 classes.
University of Iowa is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
There are nearly 90 degree and certificate programs available from the University of West Georgia, and over 13,000 students take UWG classes each year. The school began in 1906, and it began offering four-year degree programs in 1957. In recent years, The Princeton Review has recognized UWG as a Best Regional College.
University of West Georgia is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
If you have strong math skills, you may enjoy working as an accountant.
Professionals in this field keep accurate records of financial transactions, and they help individuals and companies work within their budgets. During your studies, you’ll study topics like taxation, business law, accounting software, statistics, marketing, and ethics.
Earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting can help you obtain many of the hours required for becoming a certified public accountant (CPA). Editorial Listing ShortCode:
A degree in business administration can prepare you for many business positions. For example, you could enter the field of sales, human relations, advertising, banking, or public relations.
Classes for this degree cover many aspects of business, such as law, economics, ethics, marketing, and globalization. You could also choose a specialization, such as finance, project management, entrepreneurship, or healthcare administration. Editorial Listing ShortCode:
Earning a computer science degree can teach you how to make the most of technology and develop computer-based approaches to problems.
Your coursework will cover programming languages, software, operating systems, web design, networking, and statistics. After graduation, you could become a web developer, app designer, network manager, or member of a cybersecurity team.
Additional fields to consider are quality assurance, product management, and engineering. Editorial Listing ShortCode:
Whether you’re interested in working in the court system or a correctional facility, a degree in criminal justice can help you get started.
You’ll study police work, the legal system, juvenile corrections, and problem-solving. Some schools offer concentration options in homeland security, crime scene investigation, criminology, or youth offenders.
After completing your program, you may choose to work with victims, criminals, first responders, or the public. Editorial Listing ShortCode:
If you have a desire to teach, then a bachelor’s in education may be a great fit.
Education majors often gear their college classes toward a particular group of students. Common choices are early childhood, elementary, and secondary education. Others choose to go into special education, or they learn how to teach a specialty, such as music or art.
Your courses will cover curriculum building, instructional methods, learning theories, and classroom management. Editorial Listing ShortCode:
To spend your career working with money, consider being a finance major in school.
You’ll learn about management, economics, business law, investing, and capital markets. With this degree, you could pursue a job in banking, market analysis, financial planning, or real estate.
You could become a corporate employee who manages company budgets, works in the finance department, or ensures compliance with the law. Editorial Listing ShortCode:
Medical facilities rely on the behind-the-scenes work of their administrative teams.
Earning a degree in healthcare administration can teach you the knowledge and skills needed to keep health organizations running smoothly. Your classes will cover health policy, finance, insurance, epidemiology, and management.
You could work for a hospital system, doctor’s office, drug manufacturer, nursing home, or government agency. Editorial Listing ShortCode:
The field of information technology is primarily dedicated to using computers for data storage and organization.
Despite that, IT graduates work in a wide variety of tech-related roles, including web development, network management, software programming, and database building.
As a student in this field, you’ll study networks, programming languages, databases, cloud systems, computer security, and user experience. You could also select a specialty, such as project management or data analytics. Editorial Listing ShortCode:
If you’re interested in holding a leadership position in the business world, a degree in management can help you gain a relevant education.
This degree program can be useful in the world of sales, accounting, and marketing. Your classes will cover topics like human resources, finance, and business ethics. Specialization options include entrepreneurship and human resources. Editorial Listing ShortCode:
The field of marketing is more than just advertising.
Earning a degree in marketing can prepare you for a career in sales, public relations, manufacturing, brand development, retail, or web design.
Your studies will cover economics, consumer behavior, market research, public speaking, and retail principles. Your communication skills will also improve as you learn more about human thought and behavior. Editorial Listing ShortCode:
Earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing is one of the best ways to prepare for a career in the medical field. After graduation, you’ll have the required education for pursuing certification as a registered nurse (RN).
You could also continue your education with an online RN-to-BSN degree program.
As a nurse who holds a BSN, you can pursue greater responsibilities than nurses who only have associate degrees. In addition, you’ll be qualified to continue your education in an MSN or DNP program so that you can become a nurse practitioner. Editorial Listing ShortCode:
Learning about human thought processes can help you understand why people act the way they do and how you can influence them.
In a psychology program, you’ll study cognition, personality, development, diversity, learning styles, and mental health. Fields where this degree can be useful include child welfare, law enforcement, addiction rehabilitation, coaching, human resources, and healthcare.
With further education, you could become a psychologist. Editorial Listing ShortCode:
While getting a college education fast can be enticing, you need to slow down long enough to check the school’s accreditation. Without proper accreditation, your credits may not transfer to another school or count toward a recognized degree.
To check if a university is accredited by an authoritative board, look them up in the U.S. Department of Education’s database.
Earning a college degree can be an expensive undertaking, but it often doesn’t have to be. There are many forms of financial aid available, but earning it requires research and diligence.
To get started, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This will let you know which federal and state financial aid you qualify for. It is also used by many schools to determine financial status.
Other sources of aid to check out include:
You may qualify for grants, scholarships, deferred loans, or tuition reimbursement, all of which can greatly reduce the cost of your education.
You’ll find success in college most easily if you select a program that caters to your strengths and interests.
For example, students who love math and working with details may do well in a finance program. Those who have good people skills and enjoy working with kids would probably find an education program to be a better fit.
That said, for the majority, it’s easier to maintain a high GPA in some degree programs than in others. If keeping your grades up with ease is your goal, consider pursuing one of the following degrees:
Classes in these degrees tend to focus more on concepts and techniques than math, science, or data-heavy fields. Because of this, many find them to be easier, and students’ average GPAs are higher in these fields.
Online classes cover the same material as their on-campus counterparts. You can expect to receive a rigorous, thorough education from online college courses. The digital format certainly doesn’t mean that you’ll be getting a subpar education.
Of course, some classes are harder than others. The difficulty of the class may depend on:
It’s important to keep in mind that taking online courses does require you to be motivated and organized. You’ll be responsible for checking in regularly and making sure that your assignments are submitted on time.
There are many college degrees that you can earn quickly. By taking accelerated online courses throughout the year, you can fast-track your way to a degree in a manner that suits your busy lifestyle. Some universities even offer online college courses you can start anytime.
Online degree programs in the following majors often offer accelerated classes:
If you feel comfortable with your general knowledge in these fields, taking accelerated degree programs in these majors can be a smart choice.
These days, more and more colleges are offering accelerated online courses in many fields of study to help you finish your degree in less time. The most common online accelerated courses are 6 to 8 weeks long, but some universities offer 5-week courses.
Increasing your education is one of the best ways to land a well-paying job in a growing field. In many cases, you may not even need to complete a full degree program.
Instead, taking just enough classes to earn a certificate can be enough to help you become a marketable professional. These are some certificate programs that are in demand:
Enrolling in a certificate program is a quick way to become an in-demand candidate for many job openings.
Are you ready to earn college credits quickly? Taking fast track college classes can help you achieve your educational goals fast. Before you know it, you’ll be finished with your accelerated program and on your way to career advancement.
Ready to get started? Use our “find my program” tool to research fast-track degree programs that can help you achieve your goals.
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