Nominally 16 weeks. Every Maryland in Europe DE course runs over two regular terms. For example, a DE course beginning in Term 1 ends in the second to the last week of Term 2. Each DE class provides 14 weeks of actual instruction time. In general, no.
Most instructors prefer that students interact as a cohort group.
If you need to complete a DE course early, you must request permission to do so from the instructor prior to beginning the course. You will need to present a valid reason for finishing early. In no case may a student finish more than two weeks before the end of the term. Since students may complete a DE course from anywhere there is a computer connected to the Internet, there are few reasons for needing to be absent from class. The same as for a traditional classroom course.