NAU semesters and terms

Year-round learning. Lifelong success.

Curious how to schedule courses to fit your life and get you on that graduation stage? Here’s everything you need to know about NAU’s academic calendar so you can stay on track through all four seasons.

Graduate in four years

NAU bachelor’s degrees require a total of 120 credit hours (most courses are worth 3 credits), which can be completed within the academic year or during our summer and winter sessions. To graduate in four years, we recommend completing 30 credits per academic year.

The academic calendar

Most incoming students apply for fall semester (August) and graduate at the end of spring semester (May). Degree completion times may vary depending on major and credits earned. For official start and end dates, check out our academic calendar.

Semesters and sessions

Term	Length	When	Where
Fall semester	16 weeks	Aug-Dec	In person (Flagstaff or statewide) or online
Spring semester	16 weeks	Jan-May	In person (Flagstaff or statewide) or online
Summer session	3-12 weeks	May-Aug	In person (Flagstaff) or online
Winter session	4 weeks	Dec-Jan	In person (Flagstaff) or online

Fall semester

Fall semester (August–December) is the start of the academic year. Most courses are 16 weeks, with some shorter course offerings available.

Spring semester

Spring semester (January–May) is the second half of the academic year. Most courses are 16 weeks, with some shorter course offerings available.

Summer session

NAU offers hundreds of courses throughout the summer (May–August) for students who want to earn credits, pursue an internship, or study abroad. With multiple start dates and courses 3–12 weeks long, summer offers lots of ways to get ahead or stay on track.

Winter session

Winter courses (December–January) are for current students who want to get ahead or stay on track for their degree requirements. Courses are about a month long.

Earned credits

Prior earned credit

NAU may accept previous college credit for first-year and transfer students. Submit official transcripts and test scores with your admissions application for review. Once you’re admitted, you can meet with your advisor to discuss how your credits transfer.

College transfer credits

Already have college experience? Your NAU advisor can help you determine which credits transfer and how they will apply toward your degree through our 2NAU program or JacksPath tool.

Credits earned in high school

If you’re an incoming first-year student with Dual Enrollment, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP®) credit, you will meet with your advisor during a process called Priority Enrollment, which is when you will set your class schedule for your first semester and discuss how your credits may apply toward an NAU degree!

Financial aid

College can be more affordable with financial aid and scholarships! Here’s some good news:

• 97% of NAU students receive aid
• NAU students are awarded more than $400 million in total aid every year
• More than half of students graduate debt free

Academic glossary

• Academic year: August–May; consists of the fall and spring semesters
• Credit hour*: number of hours spent in the classroom per week for a given course (most courses are equivalent to 3 credit hours); also called credits or units
• For-credit course**: coursework that can be applied toward a degree
• Full-time: completion of 12 or more credits per semester
• Hybrid course: students attend a course both in person and online
• In-person course: students attend class in person in Flagstaff or a statewide campus
• Non-credit course: coursework that cannot be applied toward a degree; often offered in summer term; and includes personal or professional development and some experiential courses
• Online course: coursework that is delivered entirely online; no in-person attendance is required
• Part-time: completion of 11 or fewer credits per semester
• Semester: half of the academic year; 16 weeks with some shorter courses of 5–8 weeks
  • Fall semester: August-December
  • Spring semester: January-May
• Session: non-semester programming that runs outside of the traditional academic year
  • Summer session: May–August; sessions are 3, 5, 8, 10, or 12 weeks
  • Winter session: December–January; sessions are 4 weeks

*Bachelor’s degrees typically require 120 credit hours; that’s 30 credits per year or 15 per semester to graduate on a 4-year timeline.

**Students must be enrolled to register for for-credit courses (admissions application required). Non-credit coursework may be taken without completing an admissions application.