Time Limit to Complete Courses
Independent study courses are designed to cover a full semester of material, so it typically takes 12 to 18 weeks to complete a course.

Although you have the flexibility to take up to one full calendar year to complete an independent study course, you are strongly encouraged to work at a steady and consistent pace so that you can complete your course(s) in less time. Many independent study courses can be completed in as few as four months, especially if you take an online course or – in correspondence courses – submit your assignments by email.

To increase exam turnaround time, the School of Continuing Studies is now using priority mail to send exams to and from exam sites. In addition, you may request to have your exams emailed to your exam supervisor in pdf format. See Exams.

The time needed to complete a course will vary from student to student, depending on the pace the student works. It will also vary from course to course, depending on the number of course credits, the difficulty of the course material, and whether the student submits their assignments electronically (online or by email) or by postal mail.

For example, if you take a course with only four lessons and one exam, and you submit your assignments by email, you should easily be able to complete the course in 12 to 18 weeks. If you take a course with 10 lessons, and you submit your assignments by postal mail, you may need more time. Please take this information into account if you have a specific deadline for completing a course.

Important: With online courses, your assignments are not subject to postal delays. We urge you to take online courses whenever possible. Also, many instructors in correspondence courses accept assignments by email. You are encouraged to take advantage of this option.

Important: If you have deadlines for receiving your final grade in a course, keep in mind that you must complete a course—including all assignments and exams—at least three weeks before you need your final course grade. Remember that instructors are often away during vacation periods. If you need to finish a course by a certain time, we advise you to ask your instructors about their schedules.

‹‹ Return to Top

Extensions
You have one full calendar year from the date you register to complete a course. Generally speaking, one year is ample time to complete a course. We have this policy to ensure that all courses are up-to-date (courses are revised; new textbooks are assigned, etc.), that there is continuity with instructors, and that our courses meet current educational standards.

However, you may have extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness or unexpected emergencies). Therefore, you may extend the one-year limit by requesting—except where noted in course descriptions—two extensions of four months each.

The nonrefundable fee for the first four-month extension of an undergraduate course is $35 per credit hour (or $105 for a 3 credit hour course) and increases to $70 per credit hour (or $210 for a 3 credit hour course) for the second four-month extension. To request extensions, use the extension request forms located here.

Important: Extensions start from the day your registration for a course ends, not the day you pay for the extension.

Course Timeout Date
When you register for a course, you have one calendar year to complete it. For example, if your registration date is September 1, 2009, your timeout date is September 1, 2010. The School of Continuing Studies defines the timeout date as the date by which we have received your final exam (or your final assignment for courses without exams) in our office. As long as we have received the final exam from your exam supervisor (or your final assignment for courses without exams) by the timeout date, no extension is necessary.

Termination of Registration
If you haven’t completed a course within 20 months of your course registration date (one year plus two four-month extensions), your registration for the course will be terminated. If you wish to re-register, you must resubmit fees. Please note that fees may have increased by the time you re-register.

‹‹ Return to Top