For students juggling classes, jobs, internships and organizations, it can be difficult to find ways to make everything fit.

Oakland University will offer 14-week and seven-week accelerated hybrid classes at the Anton/Frankel Center and the Macomb University Center in Macomb County starting in the fall 2017 semester.

“Macomb County has always been important to the success of Oakland University,” said Julie Dichtel, executive director of Macomb County Outreach. “In fact, a third of Oakland’s students come from Macomb County.”

After a market study conducted by Aslanian Market Research analyzed the dynamic of OU’s student population, it was determined that this new class format could benefit the growing number of nontraditional students.

Dichtel reported that OU hopes to help the 65 percent of Macomb County residents over the age of 25 who have college credits but do not have a bachelor’s degree.

“One of the strategies that we are working on reaching out to that population is to begin to offer courses and eventually full programs and formats that are attractive and convenient to the adult students,” Dichtel said.

Both three- and four-credit classes will be offered at the same tuition rates as the traditional classes.

With additional work online, four-credit 14-week classes will meet for an hour and 14 minutes each week, with four-credit seven-week classes meeting for three hours and 20 minutes. Seven-week three-credit classes will meet two hours and fifty minutes per week.

“So, what that allows students to do essentially, is to come to campus only one time per week across the semester and have the ability to complete two courses in that semester, one at a time,” Dichtel said.

There will be two sessions of seven-week classes each semester. The first half of fall 2017 will run from Sept. 6-Oct. 23 with the second half from Oct. 25-Dec. 16. Winter 2018 sessions will be from Jan. 3-Feb. 17 and Feb. 26-April 25.

This leaves the possibility for students to complete more than 16 credits a semester. However, Dichtel said anyone considering this should discuss it with an academic adviser.

Offerings will include Accelerated Second Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing, as well as classes in marketing, management and global human systems.

Seven-week Master of Arts in Counseling classes will also be available.

According to James Lentini, senior vice president for Academic Affairs and Provost, accreditation requirements will ensure that students learn as much in the accelerated classes as in the traditional ones.

Depending on the interest in this form of class, there is the possibility of accelerated courses becoming implemented on Oakland’s main campus in the future.

“I do think it’s an exciting new direction for OU to get into,” Lentini said.

Students with questions or concerns can email Dichtel at [email protected] or Macomb County Outreach at [email protected]