Course Structure And When To Be Online

When do I have to be online?

eCornell courses are asynchronous, for the most part. From the date and time that your course opens, all materials are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can spend as much time as you need, whenever it is convenient for you.

eCornell courses — while self-paced and 100% online — are facilitated by subject matter experts who guide you, challenge you, and help you apply the course concepts to your real-world, on-the-job circumstances. Courses are designed to accommodate the schedules of busy professionals, so they are available around the clock and are completely asynchronous. This means that once you begin your course, there is no appointed time or day that you must be online. You determine the schedule that’s right for you. Please keep in mind that adhering to the assignment 'due dates' will keep you on schedule. 

Many students typically spend six to 10 hours per course, but the actual time you spend on your course will depend on your learning style. You do not need to be online at any set time but must complete all course requirements within the course instructional period. Your time will be spent viewing case studies or topic briefings, working on assignments, and interacting with your course facilitator, content experts, and fellow students. Facilitators often hold virtual Live Sessions via Zoom, and they will post the date/time and meeting information once the course begins. These meetings are optional and they are the only 'scheduled' meetings within the course.

Courses have firm start and end dates. All assignments must be completed within those course dates in order to fully complete the course requirements. Posted times will always be Eastern Standard Time (New York), regardless of the student's location.

Although there is no penalty for turning in an assignment after the suggested due date (but before the course ends), course facilitators may have less time to provide detailed, individualized feedback. The primary purpose of the due dates is to keep everyone moving through the materials together, completing the assignments, and posting on the discussion boards at approximately the same time. If some students are posting on the discussion boards at the very end of the course, it reduces the ability to learn from one another. The due dates also serve as benchmarks to help you stay on pace for submitting all assignments prior to the end of the course, which is required to achieve a grade of Complete.

While the information in this article will be applicable to the majority of eCornell courses, we do offer courses/programs that may have different requirements or course structures due to the nature of their content. Please be sure to discuss your program requirements with your enrollment counselor prior to enrolling, or review the course syllabus if you are a current student.
How long are the eCornell courses?
Visit this article for more information about the length of eCornell courses.
What happens if I don't finish before the course ends?
If you do not submit all required assignments before the course ends, you will likely need to schedule a retake of your course. Before the course ends, however, you can try to work towards an extension instead.

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