An Evaluation of Student Outcomes by Course Duration in Online Higher Education Melanie Shaw, Ph.D. Northcentral University mshaw@ncu.edu Barry Chametzky, Ph.D. Washington and Jefferson College barry@bluevine.net Scott W. Burrus, Ph.D. Northcentral University sburrus@ncu.edu Kelley J. Walters, Ph.D. Walden University kelley.walters@waldenu.edu Abstract To facilitate student learning and ensure financial stability, leaders in higher education institutions offering online degrees and programs are adopting flexible course schedules with shorter terms. The literature does not include many evaluations demonstrating how shorter duration terms and courses might affect student achievement. In this quantitative study, data were gathered from six online courses. While the courses were identical in content and number of assignments, half were taught in a 16week format while the others were taught in an 8week format. Results show there was no statistical difference in student achievement or engagement between either course duration. These results are potentially encouraging for institutions looking to offer shorter duration courses to meet student enrollment needs and student preferences. Accelerating the number of courses a student can complete by shortening the duration of the term also benefits the institution by facilitating financial stability. Recommendations for further study include examining graduate and doctoral courses as well as facetoface courses to ensure that results are generalizable to those contexts. Introduction Courses offered in distance learning formats exponentially increased in popularity over the past few decades (Allen & Seaman, 2009, 2010, 2013; Green, Alejandro, & Brown, 2009; Langen, 2011). According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2011): Distance education courses and programs provide flexible learning opportunities to both undergraduate and post baccalaureate students. In this indicator, distance education courses include live, interactive audio or videoconferencing; prerecorded instructional videos; webcasts; CDROMs or DVDs; or computerbased systems accessed over the Internet. Distance education does not include correspondence courses. (para. 2) Currently, between 6.7 million (Allen & Seaman, 2013) and 15 million students (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012) are enrolled in distance education courses. Because of the popularity of distance learning courses, even traditional, brick and mortar institutions now provide increasing opportunities for students to enroll in online courses. With the growth of online access, universities and colleges across the country have risen to meet consumer demand for online programs (Allen & Seaman, 2013; Song, Singleton, Hill, & Koh, 2004). Twothirds of colleges and universities assert that online