Early Start Courses and Enrollment - West Lafayette
Purdue’s Early Start program offers flexible options to fit your needs and lifestyle. Students can choose to live on campus and immerse themselves in the full college experience, commute if they live nearby, or take courses online for added convenience. These choices make Early Start accessible to a wide range of students, allowing you to jumpstart your education while balancing personal preferences and commitments. With these options, you can tailor your summer experience and get ahead before the fall semester begins!
What’s the schedule like? Most on-campus courses will meet daily (Monday-Friday) for 90 minutes. Between classes, study time, and events with new friends, you’ll be actively engaged on campus — and busy. Great practice for the fall semester! Online courses will require meeting various deadlines throughout the module, but students are responsible for their own pace - we will be here if you experience any difficulty.
View the full list of classes on the Think Summer website
Residential Courses
Residential classes have been strategically selected to span majors across Purdue University. Students may complete up to nine credit hours during the five-week session if you are participating in the residential or commuter program, including:
- Two 3-credit courses from the list below (many are part of the University's core curriculum)
- And one of the following courses:
- One 1-credit Introduction to Research planning course. In this course you will take an idea and blow it up. You will “blow it up” to better understand it’s elements, and it’s connections to various ways of creating knowledge.
- One 1-credit freshman seminar course (GS 12000: Summer Beginners Seminar I) that is focused on preparing students for a successful fall semester.
Online-Only Courses and Programs
Students participating in the online-only program may complete up to nine credit hours at any point during the summer. Sample courses are included below and a full list of online classes can be viewed on the Think Summer website .
- Two 3-credit courses from the list below (many are part of the University's core curriculum)
- And one of the following courses:
- One 1-credit Introduction to Research planning course. In this course you will take an idea and blow it up. You will “blow it up” to better understand it’s elements, and it’s connections to various ways of creating knowledge.
- One 1-credit freshman seminar course (GS 12000: Summer Beginners Seminar I) that is focused on preparing students for a successful fall semester.
How do students register for courses?
Students will be planning summer and fall courses with the assistance of an academic advisor during a virtual registration appointment this summer.
NOTE: Below are important websites for determining what college credit you may have earned during high school.