The summer session is a great time for students to catch up, get ahead, or take something new.
Registration will open on March 9th and remains open until the first week of the summer term in which the class will be offered. A total of 134 courses are on the summer schedule and more than half of them will be offered in a fully online format. Take a look at the full schedule of summer offerings on the Registrar’s website: summer session course schedule.
UMW has several separate summer terms so there are course offerings that can be combined to work with other summer plans. The May/June summer session starts on May 18 and lasts five weeks. Two other terms also start on May 18, one lasting ten weeks and another lasting eight weeks. The June/July session starts on June 22 and lasts five weeks. While a variety of different courses are offered in each term, the May/June and June/July terms have the largest number of offerings.
Summer session classes tend to be smaller than the same course taught during the fall or spring semester. This means that students have a more engaging class environment with ample opportunities to get to know their faculty members and get extra attention when needed. Plus, all the usual student support resources – such as Academic Services, the Writing Center, and the Speaking Center – are fully operational in the summer sessions.
Summer session gives students a chance to focus on one or two courses at a time, do an internship, or perhaps conduct an individual research project mentored by a faculty member.
Here are a few additional reasons why the summer session is a valuable option for students:
- Did you know that a student can retake a course in which the original grade earned was C- grade or lower and the grade in the repeated class REPLACES the original grade? That’s one great way for students to improve the grade point average and get back on track!
- Did you know many courses that will meet general education requirements, major requirements, and minor requirements are being offered this summer? That’s a great way for a student to lighten the course loads they will need to take next fall and spring and, who knows, maybe even graduate ahead of schedule!
- Did you know that summer is a chance for a student to take a course they have wanted to try and couldn’t fit into their schedule before? Taking a broader range of classes expands a student’s resume and could give a boost to being competitive in the job market.
The 2020 Summer Guide to Registration is also available now. This short booklet provides an overview of the summer session, contains the calendar of dates, outlines major summer session policies, and provides information about tuition and other expenses.
Take a look at the opportunities available for your student this summer at UMW! It’s an investment that just might make a difference.
Grant Woodwell, Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences