A method of forming a circular molecule from a target nucleic acid in a sample, comprising: a) amplifying the target nucleic acid with first and second bipartite amplification primers comprising a universal circularization sequence and a target-specific sequence to generate double stranded amplicons; b) separating the strands of the double stranded amplicons; c) contacting a strand of the amplicon with a circularization oligonucleotide comprising (i) a 5'-end, (ii) a sequence complementary to the universal circularization sequence in the first amplification primer, (iii) a sequencing primer binding site, (iv) a sequence complementary to the universal circularization sequence in the second amplification primer, (v) an extendable 3'-end; d) contacting the sample with an extension DNA polymerase to generate a copy strand; e) contacting the sample with a DNA ligase to form at least one circular nucleic acid molecule from an amplicon strand or a copy strand, wherein the circularization oligonucleotide comprises (i) a 5'-end, (ii) a single stranded region, (iii) a double-stranded stem region, (iv) a single-stranded loop region, (v) a single stranded region, and (vi) 3'-end to generate a hybrid structure wherein the universal circularization sequences in the strand are hybridized to the single stranded regions (ii) and (v) of the circularization oligonucleotide; and step d) comprises extension of the 3'-end of the circularization oligonucleotide to reach the 5'-end of the circularization oligonucleotide; and step e) comprises ligation of the 3'- and 5'end of the circularization oligonucleotide from step d), and wherein the single stranded loop region of the circularization oligonucleotide comprises a primer binding site for a sequencing primer. a) amplifying the target nucleic acid with first and second bipartite amplification primers comprising a universal circularization sequence and a target-specific sequence to generate double stranded amplicons; b) separating the strands of the double stranded amplicons; c) contacting a strand of the amplicon with a circularization oligonucleotide comprising (i) a 5'-end, (ii) a sequence complementary to the universal circularization sequence in the first amplification primer, (iii) a sequencing primer binding site, (iv) a sequence complementary to the universal circularization sequence in the second amplification primer, (v) an extendable 3'-end; d) contacting the sample with an extension DNA polymerase to generate a copy strand; e) contacting the sample with a DNA ligase to form at least one circular nucleic acid molecule from an amplicon strand or a copy strand, wherein the circularization oligonucleotide comprises (i) a 5'-end, (ii) a single stranded region, (iii) a double-stranded stem region, (iv) a single-stranded loop region, (v) a single stranded region, and (vi) 3'-end to generate a hybrid structure wherein the universal circularization sequences in the strand are hybridized to the single stranded regions (ii) and (v) of the circularization oligonucleotide; and step d) comprises extension of the 3'-end of the circularization oligonucleotide to reach the 5'-end of the circularization oligonucleotide; and step e) comprises ligation of the 3'- and 5'end of the circularization oligonucleotide from step d), and wherein the single stranded loop region of the circularization oligonucleotide comprises a primer binding site for a sequencing primer.