How long is summer school in Pennsylvania?

At Penn State, Summer Session provides students with the flexibility to enroll in courses at any Penn State campus by enrolling in the course in LionPATH. Find the courses that work for you in the session and instruction mode you prefer by using the course search tool in LionPATH.

Courses in the summer vary by length with unique start and end dates. This means you can choose the course and session that works best for you! Here are the session dates for 2023:

Session

Length of Course

Start Date

End Date

Maymester

4 weeks

May 8, 2023

June 7, 2023

Summer Session I

6 weeks

May 15, 2023

June 26, 2023

Summer Session II

6 weeks

June 28, 2023

August 11, 2023

Regular Academic Session

13 weeks

May 15, 2023

August 11, 2023

Dynamic Session*

varies

varies

varies

*Dynamic session courses have varying start and end dates. Often, these are courses that cannot be completed in a 4- or 6-week session, but do not require a full 13-week session. Always pay close attention to start and end dates when you register for summer courses.

With hundreds of courses to choose from, summer sessions provide undergraduates with the opportunity to:

  • Apply what you are learning in the classroom to real-life scenarios through engaged learning opportunities
  • Explore your academic passions through General Education courses, or delve deep into an area of interest by earning credits toward a minor or certificate
  • Catch up on required courses you missed during the academic year or that did not go as planned, or get ahead in your major

Summer class sizes are small and engaging. The schedule of courses for Summer 2023 will be available in LionPATH on November 14, 2022. Summer course registration opens on February 2, 2023.

For information about the cost of attendance for summer, visit:

Summer Tuition
Summer Financial Aid
Summer Success Scholarship
Summer Housing

Enhance Your Learning

Summer is a great time to apply what you are learning in the classroom to real-life scenarios. Here are some summer courses that include opportunities for real-world, hands-on learning:

Health and Human Development

  • KINES 29: Golf
  • KINES 44: Racquetball I
  • KINES 48: Tennis I
  • KINES 61: Fitness Theory and Practice
  • KINES 67: Physical Conditioning
  • KINES 72: Fitness Walking
  • KINES 77: Yoga for a Lifetime
  • KINES 81: Wellness Theory
  • KINES 83: Exercise for Stress Management
  • KINES 84: Fitness for Life

Liberal Arts

  • CRIM 469: Seminar in Law with embedded travel to Amsterdam
  • CRIM/SOC 406: Sociology of Deviance with embedded travel to Amsterdam 

Nursing

  • NURS 203: First Aid and CPR (complete 3 credits of GHW and earn certification in First Aid and One-Person CPRI)
     

Explore

This summer, you can connect your curiosity with your future career goals and make your Penn State degree unique to you! You can take general education courses, work on a minor, or earn credits toward a certificate. Browse the selection of summer courses below, and see where your curiosity takes you:

Arts (GA)

  • GD 100: Introduction to Graphic Design
  • AA 103: Introduction to Interior Design
  • THEA 105: Introduction to Theatre
  • MUSIC 4: Film Music
  • MUSIC 7: Evolution of Jazz
  • MUSIC 109: The Music of the Beatles
  • AA 121: Design Thinking and Creativity

Humanities (GH)

  • COMM 168: American Journalism: Values, Traditions, and Practices

Health and Wellness (GWH)

  • BBH 101: Introduction to Biobehavioral Health
  • BBH 119: Behavior, Health, and Disease
  • BBH 143: Drugs, Behavior, and Health
  • BBH 146: Introduction to Health and Human Sexuality
  • NUTR 100: Nutrition Applications for a Healthy Lifestyle
  • NURS 203: First Aid and CPR
  • NURS 407: Drugs of Abuse and Mental Health Issues

Natural Science (GN)

  • EGEE 101: Energy and the Environment
  • EGEE 102: Energy Conservation for Environmental Protection
  • EGEE 110: Safety Science for the Rest of Your Life
  • GEOSC 10: Geology of the National Parks
  • GEOSC 31: Volcanoes
  • MATSE 81: Materials in Today’s World
  • EARTH 104: Climate, Energy, and our Future
  • EARTH 107: Coastal Processes, Hazards, and Society
  • CHEM 130: Introduction to General, Organic, and Biochemistry

Quantification (GQ)

  • MATH 34: The Mathematics of Money

Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS)

  • EGEE 120: Oil: International Evolution
  • GEOG 160: Mapping our Changing World
  • EBF 200: Introduction to Energy and Earth Sciences Economics
  • HDFS 239: Adolescent Development
  • RPTM 120: Leisure and Human Behavior
  • IST 110: Information, People, and Technology
  • RHS 100: Introduction to Disability Culture

Writing/Speaking (GWS)

  • CAS 100: Effective Speech
  • ENGL 202A: Effective Writing: Writing in the Social Sciences
  • ENGL 202C: Effective Writing: Technical Writing
  • ENGL 202D: Effective Writing: Business Writing

Integrative Studies: Interdomain (N)

  • ARCH 170N: Introduction to Sustainable Architecture (GA/GN)
  • GEOG 1N: Global Parks and Sustainability (GN/GS)
  • GEOG 3N: Food and the Future Environment (GN/GS)
  • COMM 150N: The Art of the Cinema (GA/GH0)

International Cultures (IL)

  • EGEE 120: Oil: International Evolution
  • GEOG 1N: Global Parks and Sustainability
  • MATSE 81: Materials in Today’s World
  • RPTM 120: Leisure in Human Behavior
  • NURS 464: Dying and Death
  • RHS 100: Introduction to Disability Culture

United States Cultures (US)

  • EGEE 120: Oil: International Evolution
  • GEOG 1N: Global Parks and Sustainability
  • RPTM 120: Leisure and Human Behavior
  • NURS 452: Women’s Health Issues
  • NURS 464: Dying and Death
  • RHS 100: Introduction to Disability Culture

Minors

  • Graphic Design Minor
    • GD 100: Introduction to Graphic Design
  • Theater Minor
    • THEA 105: Introduction to Theater
  • Energy Business and Finance Minor
    • EGEE 101: Energy and the Environment
    • EGEE 102: Energy Conservation for Environmental Protection
    • EGEE 120: Oil: International Evolution
  • EBF 200: Introduction to Energy and Earth Sciences Economics
    • Earth and Sustainability Minor
  • EARTH 107: Coastal Processes, Hazards, and Society
  • Retail Services Engineering Minor
    • IE 478: Retail Services Engineering
  • Kinesiology Minor
    • KINES100: The Culture and Behavioral Foundations of Kinesiology
  • Global Health Minor
    • BBH 101: Introduction to Biobehavioral Health
  • Diversity and Inclusion in Health and Human Development Minor
    • KINES 100: The Culture and Behavioral Foundations of Kinesiology
    • BBH 101: Introduction to Biobehavioral Health
    • RPTM 120: Leisure and Human Behavior
  • Human Development and Family Studies Minor
    • HDFS 239: Adolescent Development
  • Recreation Parks and Tourism Management Minor
    • RPTM 120: Leisure and Human Behavior
  • Film Studies Minor
    • COMM 150N: The Art of the Cinema
  • Media Studies Minor
    • COMM 150N: The Art of the Cinema
  • Sports Studies Minor
    • KINES 100: The Cultural and Behavioral Foundations of Kinesiology
  • All IST Minors
    • IST 110: Information, People, and Technology
  • Rehabilitation and Human Services Minor
    • RHS 100: Introduction to Disability Culture
  • Special Education Minor
    • RHS 100: Introduction to Disability Culture
  • Education Policy Studies Minor
    • EDTHP 115: Education in American Society

Certificates

  • Smeal Business Fundamentals Certificate
    • BA 301: Finance
    • BA 302: Supply Chains
    • BA 304: Management and Organization
    • BLAW 243: Legal Environment of Business
    • IB 303: International Business Operations
  • Earth Sustainability Certificate
    • GEOG 3N: Food and the Future Environment
    • EARTH 104: Climate, Energy, and our Future
    • EARTH 107: Coastal Processes, Hazards, and Society
  • Children, Youth, and Family Services Certificate
    • BBH 101: Introduction to Biobehavioral Health

Catch Up

Are you behind in coursework and need to catch up? Do you need to retake a course that did not go as planned? Do you want to complete entrance-to-major or pre-requisite courses so you can hit the ground running in the fall? Here are some summer courses that may interest you:

Arts and Architecture

  • AA 100: Introduction to International Arts
  • LARCH 60: Cultural History of Designated Places
  • DMD 100: Digital Multimedia Design Foundations
  • ART 10: The Popular Arts in America – Mass Media Arts
  • ART 20: Introduction to Drawing
  • ART 211Y: Introduction to Digital Art and Design Criticism
  • GD 100: Introduction to Graphic Design

Business

  • ACCTTG 211: Financial and Managerial Accounting for Decision-Making
  • MKTG 301: Principles of Marketing
  • MGMT 301: Basic Management Concepts
  • FIN 301: Corporation Finance
  • SCM 301: Supply Chain Management
  • BA 342: Socially Responsible, Sustainable, and Ethical Business Practices
  • BLAW 341: Business Law – Introduction to Contracts, Liability Issues, and Intellectual Property
  • ACCTG 403W: Auditing
  • ACCTG 404: Managerial Accounting: Economic Perspective
  • ACCTG 405: Principles of Taxation I
  • ACCTG 471: Intermediate Financial Accounting I
  • ACCTG 472: Intermediate Financial Accounting II
  • BA 411: Analyzing Business and Industry
  • FIN 305W: Financial Management of the Business Enterprise
  • FIN 406: Security Analysis and Portfolio Management
  • FIN 408: Financial Markets and Institutions
  • FIN 410: Derivative Markets
  • MIS 301: Business Analytics
  • MKTG 450: Marketing Strategy
  • SCM 450: Strategic Design and Management of Supply Chain

Communications

  • COMM 180: Survey of Electronic Media and Telecommunication
  • COMM 260W: News Writing and Reporting
  • COMM 271: Principles of Journalism

Earth and Mineral Sciences

  • EBF 200: Introduction to Energy and Earth Sciences Economics
  • PNG 301: Introduction to Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering
  • MATSE 201: Introduction to Materials Science
  • MATSE 202: Introduction to Polymer Materials
  • EME 460: Geo-resource Evaluation and Investment Analysis

Education

  • RHS 300: Introduction to Rehabilitation and Human Services
  • EDTHP 115: Education in American Society

Engineering

  • EE 210: Circuits and Devices
  • EE 330: Engineering Electromagnetics
  • CMPSC 131: Programming and Computation I
  • CMPSC 132: Programming and Computation II
  • CMPSC 221: Object-Oriented Programming with Web-Based Applications
  • CMPSC 311: Introduction to Systems Programming
  • CMPSC 465: Introduction to Numerical Analysis II
  • CMPEN 270: Digital Design: Theory and Practice
  • CMPEN 331: Computer Organization and Design IE 419: Productivity and Safety
  • EMCH 211 - Statics
  • EMCH 212 – Dynamics
  • EMCH 213 - Strength of Materials
  • EMCH 315 - Mechanical Response of Engineering Materials

Health and Human Development

  • BBH 310: Research Strategies for Studying Biobehavioral Health
  • BBH 411: Research and Application in Biobehavioral Health
  • BBH/HPA 440: Principles of Epidemiology
  • HM 329: Introduction to Food Production and Service
  • HM 330: Food Production and Service Management
  • HM 430: Advanced Food Production and Service Management
  • HM 480: Advanced Hotel Management
  • HM 490: Strategic Hospitality Management
  • KINES 202: Functional Human Anatomy
  • KINES 203: Medical Terminology for Allied Health Professionals
  • KINES 341: The Historical, Cultural, and Social Dynamics of Sport
  • KINES 350: Exercise Physiology
  • KINES 384: Biomechanics
  • KINES 410: Physical Growth and Motor Development
  • KINES 483: Motor Patterns of Children
  • KINES 493W: Principle and Ethics of Coaching
  • RPTM 390: Political and Legal Aspects of Recreation Services

Liberal Arts

  • LER 201: Employment Relationship: Law and Policy
  • Courses in Arabic, Chinese, ESL, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish

Nursing

  • NURS 407: Drugs of Abuse and Mental Health Issues
  • NURS 452: Women’s Health Issues
  • NURS 464: Dying and Death

Science

  • BMB 401: General Biochemistry
  • CHEM 212: Organic Chemistry II
  • MATH 110: Techniques of Calculus I
  • MATH 140: Calculus with Analytic Geometry II
  • MATH 141: Calculus with Analytic Geometry II
  • MATH 220: Matrices
  • MATH 230: Calculus and Vector Analysis
  • MATH 231: Calculus of Several Variables
  • MATH 250: Ordinary Differential Equations
  • MATH 251: Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations
  • PHYS 211: General Physics
  • PHYS 213: General Physics: Fluid and Thermal Dynamics

To view a full list of available courses or to register for summer session, visit LionPATH. To read a description of each course, visit bulletins.psu.edu.

How long is summer school?

Typically, summer school lasts between one to four weeks. Some summer programs last for the whole summer, while others last for only part of the summer. This depends on the program's location, curriculum and type.

How long is a school day in PA?

State
Minimum amount of instructional times per school year (by grade, if applicable)
Minimum number of hours per school day
In days
Pennsylvania
180
Kindergarten=2.5; grades 1-8=5.0; grades 9-12=5.5
Rhode Island
180
Kindergarten=5.5; grades 1-12=6
South Carolina
180
6.0 (elementary includes lunch)
Table 5.14. Number of instructional days and hours in the school year ...nces.ed.gov › programs › statereform › tab5_14null

Do you have to pay for summer school in PA?

Summer school will be free and students are able to enroll in up to two courses.

How long is summer school in NY?

During a six-week period, students may take 9th, 10th, and 11th grade core academic courses in history, English, math, and science. They may also enroll in a variety of stimulating elective courses.