The length of most courses in the summer sessions are 5-6 weeks. The instructors will give out their syllabus for the course at the first class and this will indicate a very accurate time line. The summer term goes very quickly so getting started on your projects right away is strongly suggested.
Most courses do have midterms and finals.
It is suggested to get into study groups in order to help alleviate reading assignments, sharing of materials and group work is suggested and will make your summer stay a lot easier. Students attend a center site in their geographical area in a group setting under the general direction of a site facilitator. SDSU faculty prepare instructional materials which are shipped to the center facilitators. Additional faculty support is offered through email, fax and tele-conferences on the specified course dates and through internet discussion boards. Instructional materials utilizing a strong technology component are incorporated into the instructional delivery of course work.