While each online university’s academic calendar is different, most Fall semesters run from August to December, and most Spring semesters start up in January and end in May or June. Depending on whether or not an online university’s academic year is divided into two semesters or trimesters, the above schedule can differ drastically.

Each course’s class-period length depends on how many credits it is worth, and how many days per week it is held. Typically courses that only meet two days per week are anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours in length per session, and courses that meet three times per week range from ½ hour to 1 hour in length per session. Some online courses only meet once per week, with session lengths ranging from 2 hours to 5 hours.