UC summer classes offer flexibility, opportunity

Whether you want to stay on track with your degree, get ahead on academics or study subjects you're passionate about, summer classes at the University of Cincinnati's College of Arts and Sciences offer students a wide variety of opportunity. 

With six sessions open, courses are flexible to work with your summer plans. And with hundreds of classes from which to choose--from environmental ethics to introduction to international relations--students can find courses to either enrich their understanding of the world, push their degrees forward, or both. 

“Summer classes allow you to get ahead in your hours, or catch up if you’re behind,” says Lindsay Kaminer, a recent A&S graduate. "I really wanted to take summer classes because I really wanted to graduate early so I could chase my dreams faster. Taking summer classes each year helped me achieve that."

Summer classes — when students usually have more free time — can be less stressful than fall or spring classes, says A&S graduate Brooke Woellert. 

“I took my senior capstone online during a summer course and found it to be much more relaxing to allocate the time I needed in a much more flexible span of time,” she says. “I think taking that class alone allowed me to get a better grade as I was more in tune with the subject matter and content.” 

A transfer student from another university, Woellert was trying to stay on track for graduation. "Summer allowed me to take some of my harder classes in a solo setting where I could dedicate much more energy and focus into my assignments, and learning in general."

For students enrolled in other colleges who need to complete general education requirements through A&S, summer sessions can offer a slower pace than in the traditional academic year. 

Engineering undergraduate Kelechi Akagha had a class requirement to fulfill, and needed to make it fit with his rotating academic schedule. "As an engineering student, we are required to take classes every other semester, and sometimes my schedule falls in the summer," he says.

"Summer classes are easy and less stressful compared to taking classes in the fall and spring semesters. Also, it is a short semester, which means everything goes by quickly." 

Summer semester offers a full-time session, several half-sessions and May-mester, which students complete in one month. Because summer is also prime time for internships, travel and down time, the flexible schedule leaves room for personal pursuits.

"The workload was never a ton for me," Kaminer says, "so I was still able to have a summer while also taking a couple of classes."

Students interested in pursuing personal interests and exploring their world can find a variety of topical courses to choose from, including:

• The Internet and Everyday Life
• Gender and Popular Culture
• Contemporary Moral Issues
• Introduction to International Relations
• Endangered Earth
• Environmental Ethics
• Communicating About Health, Environment and Science
• and more

Summer class enrollment is now open, with first-come, first-serve admission, so check out the classes now and register. Current students can review options on Catalyst. More information about summer semester schedules can be found here.

Featured image at top: Aerial image of UC's Uptown West campus.