Winter Session


WSU Winter Session (formerly called "J Term") has been introduced as a mini-semester between Fall and Spring.

This session gives students more flexibility throughout the year to catch up, keep up, and get ahead in their studies.

Students will have access to the Warrior Success Center (especially Tutoring Services and Access Services), the Warrior Hub, the library, and Counseling Services during Winter Session.

The Writing Center won't be staffed over Winter Session.

Use the below information to advise your students about Winter Session enrollment.

Sept. 1: Most Winter Session course options should be viewable online.

Nov. 3: First day of registration for Winter Session.

Nov. 20: Any courses canceled due to low enrollment will be announced.

Dec. 14, 2024-Jan. 11, 2025: Winter Session courses are in session.

Dec. 24-25, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025: No class days during Winter Session.

Billing and Financial Aid

Winter Session courses will be billed at the per-credit tuition and fee rates and won't fall within the Spring tuition band. The Winter Session bill will appear on a student’s Spring Semester bill.

Financial Aid questions related to Winter Session should be directed to the Financial Aid Office. Each student’s situation regarding aid eligibility will be unique. Students may have aid available, but they'll need to consult directly with an aid advisor.


Registration

Winter Session courses are listed as being part of the Spring semester in eServices.

To filter courses that'll be held during Winter Session, type "winter" in the keyword search and look at the dates of the courses populated.

Note that there's at least one true Spring semester course that contains "winter" in the course title, and it will populate using this filtering method. The Winter Session website also has a list of available classes with direct links to registration.


Expectations & Preparedness

Winter Session is exactly the same number of days as May Term.

Nearly all Winter Session courses will be offered entirely online, and most will be asynchronous.

Students should be prepared to dedicate much of their time each week to completing Winter Session coursework (40 or more hours for a three-credit course).

Taking more than one Winter Session course (or more than three credits) may be too much for most students to achieve the level of success they prefer.


Graduation

There will be a degree conferral date in January for students who complete their degree requirements at the end of Winter Session.

It's important to direct students to consult with the Financial Aid Office about how an early graduation may impact their Spring Financial Aid package.

The following student situations may make someone a good candidate for taking a Winter Session course:

 

  • A student who has not taken enough credits in recent semesters to keep them on track to graduate in their desired timeframe
  • A student who has recently changed their major or added a major or minor
  • A student who will have a heavy course load in Spring and or Fall Semester and would benefit from more balance
  • A student who could fulfill a pre-requisite for a Spring course that they would otherwise not be eligible to take
  • A student who could benefit from focusing on only one course due to its level of difficulty or their passion for the subject area
  • A student who could easily graduate a semester earlier (and wishes to do so) if they added a Winter Session course
  • A student who needs to retake a course and feels confident they can be successful retaking a course during an accelerated term online
  • A student who prefers, enjoys and excels in online courses
  • A part-time student looking for a way to expedite their time to degree completion