What is it like to be in an online program?
When you are admitted into a program via PACE, your entire program schedule is already determined for you. Students simply need to complete the courses each term as they’re scheduled.
Course Load
Students are typically engaged in only two courses at the same time even though you will be completing 5 courses each term (with a reduced load of courses in summers). To illustrate how this works, see the table below.
Example: Year 1-Term 1: Five courses (Fall)
| Course | Length | Name | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| BUS V30 | 8 Weeks (3 units) | Introduction to Business | Aug 14 - Oct 8 |
| BUS V17 | 5 Weeks (3 units) | Computer Applications | Aug 21 - Sep 24 |
| BUS V46 | 5 Weeks (3 units) | Marketing | Sep 25 - Oct 31 |
| ENGL V01A | 8 weeks (4 units) | English Composition | Oct 9 - Dec 10 |
| MUS V03 | 5 Weeks (3 units) | World Music | Nov 3 - Dec 10 |
In this fall term example above:
- Students begin their first course, Intro to Business--an 8-week course--on August 14.
- A week later, their second course, the five-week Computer Apps course, begins on August 21.
- You will be engaged in those two courses simultaneously until September 24, when the Computer Apps course ends.
- Immediately after that, your next five-week course, Marketing, starts. You’re then engaged in Intro to Business and Marketing at the same time, until October 8.
- Intro to Business ends and English Comp, your next 8-week course, starts on October 9.
- At that point, you’re in English Comp and Marketing simultaneously.
- Once Marketing ends on October 31, you pick up the five-week World Music course. Music runs while English Comp is running, and you finish those two courses at the same time, in mid-December.
In this course schedule students complete five courses by the end of the term but only have to focus on two courses at any given time. This allows you to focus your energy on two courses at a time but still complete 16 credits at an accelerated rate.
Please review the Components of Online Programs Through PACE page for more details about our fully online programs and what it is like to participate in one.