Types of courses

An online student looking at computer with classmates on the screen.

The type of courses you take will depend on your student status and degree plan. It also may affect your schedule and how you interact with your instructors.

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Before you begin

All of Mizzou's online courses fall into one of two categories: semester-based or self-paced. 

Most courses are offered as semester-based courses available on Canvas. Many of our self-paced options are at the undergraduate level and help on-campus students fulfill degree requirements, but there also are options for graduate and nondegree-seeking students.

Note: Whichever course you enroll in, you are responsible for making sure you’ve taken any prerequisites ahead of time. 

Semester-based courses

A semester-based course will be a little closer to a more traditional experience. The start and end dates will align with the regular 16-week or 8-week semester. As with other online courses, you may need to take a proctored exam, but you also are expected to take online quizzes and exams. 

An added bonus is more structure and interaction with your peers. Instead of going at your own pace, your instructor will provide weekly assignments, course work, quizzes and exams. Throughout this time, you also can engage with your instructor and peers via a discussion board. 

Semester-based courses are either asynchronous, meaning you can log on anytime to participate, or synchronous, meaning you are required to log on at a specified time. 

Next steps for semester-based courses

Enroll in a course

Self-paced courses

Mizzou offers two types of self-paced courses, a 16-week course that follows the semester calendar and a 19-week course that allows additional time flexibility during the session interim. 

Self-paced 19-week max to finish

The start day for the self-paced term is the first day of the regular term and extends for 19 weeks in the fall and spring terms. The session will end on the Friday prior to the start of the next term. During Fall and Spring terms, students will be able to add a self-paced course up to 9 weeks into the term. Students cannot register for a self-paced course with less than 10 weeks to complete.

Self-paced 16-week courses

Self-paced 16-week session courses start date and end dates are the same as those of the regular 16-week session. 

An advantage of these courses is the extended enrollment period, but you still must finish the course by the session end date. Therefore, these courses may be best for those who need to finish their course work within a semester time frame.

Before you begin

All online classes offered by UMSL are semester-based and follow the on-campus schedule (8-week/16-week courses in the fall and spring semesters, 4-week/8-week/12-week courses in the summer semester, and a 2-week course option in the winter). 

Course format

Semester-based courses are either asynchronous, meaning you can log on anytime to participate, or synchronous, meaning you are required to log on at a specified time. A student will need to carefully decide what option works best for them:

  • Many students select asynchronous courses because they can easily fit them into their already busy lives without having to carve out a specific time to be present for a course each week. 
  • Synchronous courses offer more structure and interaction with your peers. Instead of going at your own pace, your instructor will provide weekly assignments, course work, quizzes and exams. Throughout this time, you also can engage with your instructor and peers via a discussion board. 

For both asynchronous and synchronous courses, you may need to take a proctored exam, but you also are expected to take online quizzes and exams. 

Next steps for semester-based courses

Enroll in a course

Before you begin

All online classes offered by Missouri S&T are semester-based and follow the on-campus schedule (16-week spring and fall semesters and 4-week / 8-week summer sessions). 

Semester-based courses

Semester-based courses are either asynchronous, meaning you can log on anytime to participate, or synchronous, meaning you are required to log on at a specified time. 

As with other online courses, you may need to take a proctored exam, but you also are expected to take online quizzes and exams. 

An added bonus is more structure and interaction with your peers. Instead of going at your own pace, your instructor will provide weekly assignments, course work, quizzes and exams. Throughout this time, you also can engage with your instructor and peers via a discussion board. 

Next steps for semester-based courses

Enroll in a course

Before you begin

All online classes offered by UMKC are semester-based and follow the on-campus schedule (8-week / 16-week spring and fall semesters and 8-week summer session). 

Semester-based courses

Semester-based courses are either asynchronous, meaning you can log on anytime to participate, or synchronous, meaning you are required to log on at a specified time. 

As with other online courses, you may need to take a proctored exam, but you also are expected to take online quizzes and exams. 

An added bonus is more structure and interaction with your peers. Instead of going at your own pace, your instructor will provide weekly assignments, course work, quizzes and exams. Throughout this time, you also can engage with your instructor and peers via a discussion board. 

Next steps for semester-based courses

Enroll in a course