Your Questions Answered

8-week terms are designed to give you more flexibility and momentum. With six terms each year, you can focus on fewer subjects at a time while still making progress year-round. The format is fully asynchronous, with no required live class meetings, so you can complete coursework on your schedule. Many students also find the shorter format helps them stay engaged and keep moving toward their goals.

There are no required live meetings. Some instructors may offer optional live sessions (e.g., office hours, reviews).

8-week courses are designed in an accelerated format, not a reduced one. Students focus on fewer subjects at a time in a more immersive format. In addition, 8-week courses cover the same learning objectives as traditional 16-week courses and have been designed in a way to allow students to successfully complete the work in an accelerated format.

8-week courses may feel faster-paced because the work is completed in a shorter time frame, but ODUGlobal has built support around that format. Students focus on fewer courses at a time, and they have access to advising and 24/7 tutoring. 

Courses use a mix of asynchronous activities—discussions, projects, quizzes, reflections—plus clear milestones and feedback cycles. Some courses may use proctored exams or authentic assessments aligned to outcomes.

No. ODU credentials remain the same. Course quality and academic rigor are equivalent to traditional timelines.

In one accelerated eight-week term, six credit hours is comparable to full-time enrollment. Fewer than six credit hours is generally considered part-time. For most students, six to 7.5 credit hours, usually two courses, is a normal and manageable course load. Students should talk with their academic advisor before registering for courses.

Your ideal course load depends on your academic goals and your personal, work, family, military and other commitments. Because 8-week courses cover the same learning objectives as traditional 16-week courses in about half the time, they may feel faster paced. Most students find that taking one to two courses per 8-week session provides a strong balance between steady progress and a manageable workload.

For a traditional fall or spring semester, Old Dominion University considers 12 credit hours to be full-time enrollment, with 15 credit hours considered a normal course load. For an accelerated 8-week term, those recommendations are effectively divided in half. Six credit hours is comparable to full-time enrollment during one accelerated term, and six to 7.5 credit hours, typically two courses, is considered a normal and manageable course load for most students.

Yes—many students do. The key is a balanced plan. Your advisor will help you select the right course load and apply time-management strategies.

Yes. With two 8-week sessions each fall, spring, and summer semester, you can start or restart classes at six points during the academic year—August, October, January, March, May, and July. That gives you more opportunities to begin or continue without losing momentum.

Yes, we know life happens! ODUGlobal’s 8-week format includes six terms each year, with two sessions in fall, two in spring, and two in summer. That gives students more entry points throughout the year to begin, pause, or begin again.

Register as early as possible for every term that is open for registration. You do not need to wait for grades from your current eight-week term before registering for the next term.

Whenever possible, register at least three weeks before the next eight-week term begins. At that point, registered students are assigned to specific course sections and instructors. Registering early helps reduce delays, gives you the best opportunity to secure the courses you need, and keeps you on track toward completing your degree.

Registration remains open through the published add/drop deadline, but seats are not guaranteed after section assignments are made.

Review the Academic Calendar for registration deadlines, holidays, and other important dates.

Your advisor can help you map out a personalized plan—including course load, start dates, and graduation timeline.

For each eight-week term, the add/drop deadline is the Friday of the first week of classes, four days after the term begins on Monday.

If you need to add or drop a course, make the change by the published add/drop deadline. Dropping a course after this deadline may result in tuition or other charges, so it is important to review your schedule and make any necessary changes during the first week of the term.

Review the Academic Calendar for the specific add/drop deadline for each term. If you have questions about changing your schedule, contact your Student Success Advisor before making changes.

Absolutely. Expect weekly modules, milestone calendars, timely faculty feedback, and proactive outreach if you start to slip.

Reach out right away. You’ll have access to 24/7 tutoring, faculty office hours, globaladvocacy@odu.edu, and advisors who can problem-solve quickly.

Courses are designed to be accessible from the start. For formal accommodations, submit a request with documentation to the Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA). 

Students should register for courses as early as possible, even if a desired instructor is not listed. Instructors are generally added to the course schedule about three weeks prior to the start of each term as instructors are added based on course enrollment. 

Your financial aid and VA benefits are based on your enrollment in each 8-week session. That means the number of credits you take in a session can affect your loan eligibility, Pell Grant awards, and VA benefit rates such as Monthly Housing Allowance. Scholarship requirements may vary depending on the award. Because every student’s situation is different, your enrollment counselor, financial aid team, and military support staff can help you understand what this means for you.

With the new 8-week terms, ODUGlobal moved to the Borrower Based Academic Year financial aid model. This means the financial aid year is more flexible than the traditional model and aid is also available in the summer.

A small number of courses may follow a different timeline to meet external requirements. Reach out to your advisor or program director for specifics to determine if an exception applies.

Yes, online doctoral courses and a limited number of internships, licensure and practicum courses will continue in the 16-week term.