University or college degree with coursework only, no exam
Please, anyone, know of Universities/colleges with degrees that require no exams, but only coursework/assignment? Any degree program OK by me.
I have searched the forum with very limited findings. Many thanks.
Wesleyan’s College of Social Studies (CSS) is based on Oxford’s tutorial system where, basically, the student is given reading assignments and meets once a week in small groups to discuss the material. Grades (such as they are - that’s a whole different discussion) are based on the totality of the student’s performance, including weekly papers. It’s not for everyone, but it’s worth looking into. IIRC there’s a humanities degree called, the College of Letters (COL), that follows the same approach. The only exams I’ve heard of are oral exams administered by an outside team of academics at the end of senior year.
You should also look into Swarthmore’s Honors program.
One way or another, instructors need to evaluate your performance. Professors, parents, employers, and other stakeholders might have difficulty accepting an institution-wide “no exam” policy. Absent such a policy (which I’ve never heard of, anywhere), individual professors have considerable academic freedom to determine their own grading standards and practices.
^At liberal arts colleges (LACs), “finals” often consist of a written 10-15 page paper that is graded by the professor. Some people avoid such courses like the plague, preferring sit-down, written exams that are over in an instant, to the prospect of agonizing for weeks over a polished, heavily footnoted, finished product. The OP, I’m assuming, prefers the latter…
It’s relatively rare, but there are a few schools (e.g. Sarah Lawrence) that have virtually eliminated exams and traditional grades.
Yep. It’s not unusual for classes in the the arts and humanities to base grades almost entirely on papers rather than exams. Upper-level classes in other disciplines sometimes forgo exams as well. There’s no escaping exams in introductory STEM classes at most schools, though.
Professors are especially willing to accommodate students who have documented disabilities – provide extended time for exams, offer alternative forms of assessment, etc. I usually have at least a couple of students each semester who have testing accommodations.
@circuitrider , CSS and COL are only majors, though, and the OP will still have to take classes with tests to graduate from Wesleyan. In fact, they would almost certainly have to take a couple of econ classes with tests to even get in to CSS.
@PurpleTitan - I’m interpreting “degree program” as synonymous with major:
I got an M.A. in philosophy from U of Toronto a while back. Eight classes, involving 7 oral presentations & 9 research papers. Zero exams.
Hampshire, NCF, Sarah Lawrence.
Not sure: St John’s/Maryland and st John’s new Mexico. Run the NPC.
@MYOS1634 New College certainly does have exams. Not sure why you thought it didn’t. It just doesn’t use grades. But exams can be and frequently are used to determine whether or not you know the material well enough to pass.
Related topics
Popular states, search sat scores, search act scores, search gpa’s, subscribe to our newsletter.
Stay informed with the latest from the CC community, delivered to you, for free.
CONNECT WITH US
© 2023 College Confidential, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Online Students
For All Online Programs
International Students
On Campus, need or have Visa
Campus Students
For All Campus Programs
Picture an Online Degree at Your Own Pace
It might seem daunting to start on a path toward a new career or reach your personal goals with an online degree — especially if you've never gone this route before. But don't let that uncertainty hold you back.
Online learning doesn't try to replicate a traditional classroom setting, which brings with it the necessity to be in one place at a set time every week. Instead, as a student at an online university, like Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), you can still uphold your regular schedule while meeting deadlines.
"There’s no expectation to log in at a specific day or time during the week, so all types of schedules and commitments can be accommodated," said Kelly Levine , an academic advisor at SNHU who works with undergraduate computer science, geoscience and environmental science students. "Students are able to work, care for families and live their lives while earning their degree."
How an Online Program Works
If you're wondering how online courses work at SNHU, you may be tasked with a combination of discussion posts, readings, academic papers and other assignments on a weekly basis. Consistently scheduled due dates allow you to complete coursework day or night, in large chunks or piece by piece.
Having time management strategies is key for online students, according to Levine, who has been an advisor more than five years. "I always recommend students log in early in the week to review the assignments and make their plan."
The short terms — 8 weeks for undergraduate programs and 10 for the master's level — allow you to register for courses year-round, doubling up when you can or taking a term off when you need to. And with rolling admissions, classes are always starting soon.
Find Your Program
Here's how five graduates have shown that earning an online degree at your own pace is possible.
Juggling School Work and Family Responsibilities
Many online students choose the non-traditional path because they have other obligations in their lives that make the on-campus experience an unrealistic option. For some people with full-time jobs and families, as well as others who simply do not live close enough to their desired colleges, attending an online university allows them to earn an online degree at their own pace.
For instance, Tracey Burraston ’15 not only balanced a full-time job and the duties of a mother to her five children, but also the challenges of living in a rural location. Despite these obstacles, she could still use her free time to tackle her online psychology degree in chunks.
While you may think you'll be on your own in a virtual environment, that's just one of several misconceptions about online college courses . Throughout your online program, you may have a support team including an academic advisor, course instructors, peer tutors and others who specialize in career services and financial aid.
Even when a snowstorm threatened to knock out her internet connection, Burraston's academic advisor was there to make sure she could continue working toward her online degree at her own pace.
"Living in such a rural area, I really needed an online program that would fit my life," Burraston said. "(My advisor) immediately got back to me. She was able to do whatever we needed to do to get it fixed. At that moment, it was clear to me that SNHU was committed to my success."
Getting a Degree While in the Military
For active-duty service members like Wyatt Martensen '21 , attending a brick-and-mortar school is often out of the question. There are moves and deployments and other demands involved in military life.
While deployed in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army, Martensen said his chief warrant officer encouraged him to enroll at SNHU. "I said, 'Do you really think this is the right time for it?' and he looked at me, and he said, 'There's no better time to start than right now.'"
So, Martensen set out to earn an online bachelor's in geosciences at SNHU, which complimented the geospatial work he was doing and kept his career path beyond the military in mind.
Balancing deployment and college wasn't always easy. But, he said the structure of the online classes gave him the flexibility to work on assignments when it made sense for him — whether that be early on each week or during the weekend, ahead of an assignment deadline.
"There was no point in time where I felt extremely stressed out about taking the classes — even when I was deployed," Martensen said. And if his military service took him somewhere without access to a computer or the internet, his instructors worked with him.
"I believe that the entire staff and faculty at Southern New Hampshire University understands the military side of schooling better than most," he said.
Going to College and Working Full Time
An on-campus degree program requires you to show up to class regularly no matter what's happening in the rest of your life. The flexibility of online learning can allow you to structure your coursework around what's going on in your world.
When Elanna Rubenstein ’20G decided to go back to school, they knew finding an online master's program was their only option. As a coverage producer for a major sports network, Rubenstein said their job is fun but demanding. “Our mission is to serve sports fans anytime, anywhere,” they said. “That means working nights, weekends and holidays.”
After a coworker shared her positive experience at SNHU, Rubenstein enrolled in the online master's in communication and found they could fit their classwork in on their schedule, regardless of how it looked that week.
“I know my work-life balance during (football) season is a lot different than the off-season, so learning to balance school during long work weeks was a challenge at first,” they said. But they adjusted accordingly and passed in assignments at times that made sense for them — even if it was early in the morning while they were traveling for a big game.
“For anyone that is thinking about going back to school but not sure if they can manage it, I always say: Take the jump,” Rubenstein said. “Going back to school was not only the best decision for my professional growth, but I felt a personal growth that I am not sure I would have found otherwise.”
Finishing a Bachelor's Degree Faster at an Online University
Learning how many credits you’ll need to graduate is crucial when it comes to mapping out your college timeline — as is deciding how many classes you can take per term. And, if you already earned credits at another college, be sure to find a transfer-friendly program that counts them toward your current experience.
Aguilar transferred almost 90 credits from previous experiences to SNHU and got right to work finishing her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in child and adolescent development. The 8-week bachelor degree course terms and flexible coursework schedules — along with the credits transferred — allowed her to finish her bachelor's degree faster than she anticipated.
"When I initially started at Southern New Hampshire University, I said I'm going to take one class at a time, just to get a feel for it," Aguilar said. "But … after the first term was complete, I felt like I could do more."
So, she doubled up and finished her bachelor’s in two years — all while raising four children and working full-time as an interventions behavioral specialist. “I’m just grateful because I feel like I'm just another step forward to reaching my goal,” Aguilar said.
Taking Care of Business, Saving Time and Money
While a degree is an investment in your future, the cost can be challenging — and, in some cases, out of reach. When Blake Venable '24 decided it was time to go back to school and complete his bachelor's in accounting , he was prepared to take on loans to pay for school.
Much to his surprise, he didn't have to.
“I started to talk with an advisor, and I saw that it was not only ... affordable, (but) it was also something that I could integrate into what I was already doing," Venable said. He decided he was going to try his best to pay for it out of pocket, advancing toward his degree, at his own pace, without additional debt.
"I never considered I could actually pay for my school myself as I go," he said.
Given Venable was able to fully transfer in all credits from his associate degree when he started at SNHU, he cut his time to complete his bachelor's in half, saving a good deal of money as well.
The financial savings is important, as is his time. While at SNHU, his work kept him plenty busy; Venable owns three businesses and focuses primarily on his career during Monday through Friday, leaving the weekends for schoolwork. That's not to say he didn't fit assignments in during the week when he could. When time permitted, he often worked ahead so he'd be prepared should work demands need additional attention.
"Flexibility for me is everything," Venable said. "Things are constantly changing in my world, so having a school like SNHU that is so flexible ... (it allowed) me to work on things at any time."
A Virtual Support System at SNHU
If you choose to earn your degree online at SNHU, you'll have a wealth of resources available to you, according to Jessica Puchacz '18 '23G , an academic advisor supporting students in information technology (IT) or computer information systems programs.
She said some of those resources include:
- Academic Advising
- Academic Support Center with 24/7 virtual drop-in tutoring
- HelpU program offering mental health services
- IT Help Desk support 24/7
- Online Accessibility Center
- Online Writing Center
You can also let your advisor know how often you'd like them to check in, according to Puchacz — and access advisors seven days a week, if needed.
"You have an entire university supporting you throughout your entire program," she said.
A degree can change your life. Find the SNHU online degree that can best help you meet your goals.
Pamme Boutselis ’15, ’17G is an award-winning writer and content producer, currently serving as a senior director of content and a communication adjunct at Southern New Hampshire University. She loves hearing and sharing stories. As a writer spanning a 25-year career, her work has been featured in print and online via news media, career and education-focused blogs, regional magazines, technology publications and more.
A bachelor’s and master’s in communication — earned as an adult learner — positively impacted her life and career, melding decades in diverse industries with professional and academic knowledge and experience. A serial volunteer, Boutselis has been a TEDx organizer since 2013 and a speaker coach. She’s been fortunate to work with dozens of nonprofits throughout the years. Connect with her on LinkedIn .
Explore more content like this article
Is an Associate Degree Worth It?
Top 7 Reasons Why College is Important
How to Be Successful in College: Advice for College Freshmen & Beyond
About southern new hampshire university.
SNHU is a nonprofit, accredited university with a mission to make high-quality education more accessible and affordable for everyone.
Founded in 1932, and online since 1995, we’ve helped countless students reach their goals with flexible, career-focused programs . Our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH is home to over 3,000 students, and we serve over 135,000 students online. Visit our about SNHU page to learn more about our mission, accreditations, leadership team, national recognitions and awards.
- QUICK LINKS
- How to enroll
- Career services
- Go to MyPhoenix
- Return to my application
- My saved programs
Online degree programs
Prepare for today’s ever-changing employment landscape with an online degree.
Find an online degree that fits you
What you earn a degree in matters. That’s why we’re empowering learners with degrees aligned to skills employers want that’ll enhance your knowledge in a chosen field. Browse our career-focused online degree programs from an accredited institution.
Time is money. We could save you both. Get started.
What’s a field of study?
In higher education, a field of study or an academic discipline is a broad subject area. You pursue it as part of a degree program to enhance your knowledge. Delve deeper into a topic with an area of interest. Whether it's driving your career goals or igniting your passion, your field of study is where you start.
Explore our fields of study – spark your curiosity!
Behavioral Sciences
Unravel the complexities of human behavior with an online degree in behavioral sciences. Our behavioral sciences degrees span correctional program support services, social work, and counseling. Pave your way toward a future career potentially as a case manager, family service worker, counselor and more.
Learn skills related to running or managing a company with an online degree program in business. Our versatile business degrees collectively align to 80+ occupations and impart career-relevant skills like interpersonal communication, innovative leadership, organizational behavior, and digital transformation. Get ready to lead in today’s dynamic corporate world.
Criminal Justice
Stand up for social justice and public policy with an online degree in criminal justice or public administration. Prepare to serve your community and lay the groundwork for the next step in your career pursuits whether in law enforcement, criminal courts and corrections, the public sector, or nonprofit entities.
Schools are grappling with a serious teacher shortage. Now’s your time to shape the minds that could impact our future with an online degree in education. Learn the latest methods of teaching and learning in school and prepare for your initial teacher licensure with our bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. Our education degrees may include an on-ground clinical component requiring field experiences and student teaching above and beyond program coursework.
Make a positive impact in patients’ lives with an online degree in healthcare. Our degree programs in this field focus on the business side of healthcare, such as administration and management vs. working directly with patients. Prepare for a future where you can leverage your education to improve the systems that make healthy communities possible.
Information Technology
Get ready to drive innovation in the digital age with an online degree program in information technology. From data science to cybersecurity, you’ll gain career-relevant skills for the growing field of IT. Our IT degrees collectively align to 63 occupations that prepare you for careers associated with the future of tech.
Liberal Arts
Broaden your horizons and perspective of the world with an online degree in the liberal arts. Our liberal arts degrees include English and environmental science. Choose between these two very different worlds to gain career-relevant skills while expressing your creativity or love for the outdoors.
Are you a registered nurse (RN) interested in enhancing your knowledge of various healthcare settings? If so, our online degrees in nursing can help you become educationally prepared to pursue new opportunities in nursing leadership, systems thinking, evidence-based practice, health policy and teamwork. Our nursing degrees may include an on-ground field experience or clinical component.
Dive deep into the inner workings of the human brain with an online degree program in psychology. Study the science of human cognition and behavior while learning how to make a positive impact on people’s lives. Our degrees include applied psychology, psychology and industrial-organizational psychology.
EXCEPTIONAL FLEXIBILITY
Start your online degree when you’re ready, day or night – attend class online whenever it fits your schedule..
For most of our students, earning a degree is a second job, and we believe it shouldn’t make impossible demands on your schedule. Here, the choice is yours. That’s why we give you the freedom to learn when and where you want.
Online classes, always on — 24/7/365
Take your education wherever you go and balance it all — work, family and school.
Start your online degree year-round
Enjoy 20 opportunities a year to begin your bachelor’s and up to 17 to start your master’s degree.
Your time is valuable – make the most of it
By taking just one 5-to-6-week course at a time, you can focus on every assignment, skill and victory.
College Tour Intro
"As a working professional, I could fit my classes around my work and my life."
Dr. Rose Lorenzo BSCJA 2014 | MBA 2016 | DM 2020
"I chose University of Phoenix because of its online learning platform. I didn’t have to put my life or career on hold while I pursued my education."
Vernon Wiggins BSM 2012 | MBA 2021
- As a working professional, I could fit my classes around my work and my life.
- I chose University of Phoenix because of its online learning platform. I didn’t have to put my life or career on hold while I pursued my education.
What’s it like to earn a degree online?
Get to know your online learning classroom
How do online courses work?
Our online classes take place in Blackboard®, a learning management system that supports learning on your schedule in a virtual classroom. You’ll have access to all your course content, weekly assignments and a calendar with key due dates. You’ll also have a dedicated place for discussion about course topics with your faculty member and peers. Need extra support? Reach out to your instructor directly with questions.
What’s the schedule like for an online degree?
Your schedule may vary. Our online classroom is mostly asynchronous. Asynchronous means you’re not typically required to attend a lecture at a specific time and date. You can navigate through weekly modules on your schedule, but you must still adhere to designated deadlines.
What do faculty bring to the online classroom?
Our “secret sauce” for our online degree programs is our faculty. As professionals and leading practitioners in their fields, they bring an average of 28.8 years of professional experience into the classroom. Their real-world experience allows them to translate theory into practical examples, often from their own workplaces, so you can put what you learn into practice right away.
What are the technical requirements for online degrees?
You’ll need regular access to a laptop or desktop computer. Mobile devices will not be sufficient to complete your online degree program. Your course assignments will require a computer to complete and submit them.
What learning resources are available?
Think you’ll need to physically go to a library for your courses? Think again. Access our digital library 24/7 with support from our librarians. You can peruse 115 licensed scholarly and trade research databases, more than 200,000 scholarly journals and periodicals, and more than 270,000 general interest e-books from your home.
What support services are available to me?
Your life doesn’t stop when you’re attending school. That’s why you have a support team of real people you can lean on. Our academic counselors, career coaching teams and technical support staff are ready to assist you. Because we know you’re busy, we also offer a range of on-demand resources like tutorials, videos and more.
Tuition cost per course
Tuition is based on number of credit hours per course. Courses are typically 3 credits, but can range from 1-6 credits. Costs do not include savings opportunities like transfer credits and scholarships. Learn how to reduce cost .
Cost per credit
Credits per course
Resource fee
Estimated cost per course
$1,364 / course
$2,289 / course
$2,635 / course
What affects the overall cost of my program?
Your full program cost can vary by:
- Savings opportunities. Your cost could be reduced with eligible transfer credits, scholarships, employer discounts and more. Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11K and 1 year off their undergraduate degree at University of Phoenix.
- Specific program costs. Additional costs that may only apply to certain programs may be included such as background checks, health screenings or professional third-party exam fees. Fees vary by program. Please check your selected program pages for a complete list of specific fees.
Discover ways to save time and money on your degree with our Savings Explorer® tool.
Try our Savings Explorer ® tool
Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved:
Off their undergraduate degree with University of Phoenix.
Benefit from a career-focused education
Our online degrees include a skills-aligned curriculum..
In today’s competitive job market, skills matter. Using labor analytics data, advisory board input, and academic and faculty insights, we make sure our programs align to specific, career-relevant skills — arriving at a truly innovative way of connecting curriculums to careers.
Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years
Develop skills and update your résumé with every 5- to 6-week course in our degree programs.
Promote your skills through verified badges
We’ve teamed up with Credly® digital credentials to help you showcase your skills on LinkedIn®.
Enjoy our Career Services for Life® commitment
Your degree gives you access to career coaching, résumé building and interview prep. For life.
Explore careers aligned to our online degrees
Learn about jobs that may suit your education and experience.
Financial advisor
Business manager, school principal, nurse practitioner, software developer.
- Financial Advisor, Business Manager, Accountant
- School Principal, Nurse Practitioner, Software Developer
Frequently asked questions about our online degrees
Can i pursue my field of study through an online degree program.
Yes, most likely, depending on the academic field or discipline you’d like to pursue. University of Phoenix offers nine fields of study, which include behavioral sciences, business, criminal justice, education, healthcare, information technology, liberal arts, nursing and psychology. Our fields of study are housed in seven specialized, career-focused colleges, with over 100 program options.
Will my online degree come from an accredited university?
Yes, if you earn an online degree from University of Phoenix. We have been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org since 1978. Plus, we have programmatic accreditations for select programs in business, healthcare, nursing, counseling and social work fields of study.
What is involved in getting an online degree?
Earning a degree online enables you to learn when and where you want – and get help anytime. So, whether you’re working an extra shift, making sure your kids eat their vegetables or trying to get chores done around the house, the best time for class is when it fits your schedule. But remember to meet your deadlines!
At University of Phoenix, you can learn online on your own time. Our online degree programs are mostly asynchronous, which means you’re not typically required to attend a lecture at a specific time and date. You also have a support team available up to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week.
What are the different levels of online degree programs?
University of Phoenix offers four levels of online degree programs, including associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctoral degrees. Read about each degree level to see what might suit you.
An associate degree starts you on your education journey and can help you identify the career path that drives your passion. You’ll develop career-relevant skills you can add to your resume, to share with potential employers in the field you want to pursue.
A bachelor’s degree helps you build foundational knowledge in a particular field of study or area of interest. You’ll expand your skillset and develop competencies that will help you pursue your career goals.
A master’s degree could help set you apart in the competitive landscape with next-level knowledge. For organizations that require a master’s degree for advanced positions, your graduate-level online degree can prepare you for more opportunities in your field.
A doctoral degree prepares you for leadership roles in an organization. Choose a doctoral degree if you are looking to become an authority in your field, an educator in your profession or a leader in your industry.
Online degree articles
What Are the Different Types of Master's Degrees?
Online degrees.
September 07, 2024 • 6 minutes
Bachelor’s and associate degree differences
August 22, 2024 • 5 minutes
Master’s in management vs MBA
July 30, 2024 • 8 minutes
IMAGES
VIDEO