Courses

Purdue University offers more than 650 courses during the Summer Session. However, we recommend enrolling in courses not offered during high school to help expand your horizons. Some of our popular options are listed below; however, this is not an exhaustive list. To view a full list of all summer courses, please visit the Dynamic Course Schedule. 

Residential Courses

1-week, 1-credit "Fun-Sized" OptionsThese condensed courses allow for the opportunity to earn a college credit while experiencing life on campus. These residential classes run during June and July. 

2022 Course offerings
  • Ahead of the Curve: Calculus for High School Students 
  • (Beyond) Anime, K-Pop, Bollywood, and Shang-Chi: Asians & Asian Americans in Popular Culture   
  • Data Science and STEM
  • Developing Tomorrow's Infrastructure: An Introduction to Civil Engineering 
  • Easy as Pi: Pre-Calculus for High School Students
  • Empowering Women in Business
  • Exploring University Majors and Careers in Human and Animal Health Care Professions
  • Planning for Research in College: What you can Do Now
  • Pre-College Molecular Agriculture Summer Institute
  • Introduction to Academic Programs at Purdue: GS 11900
  • The Next Great Idea: Collaboration and Innovation
  • Thomora Black Arts Workshop
  • TOTAL - Turned Onto Technology And Leadership

Click the link above to read more about our different fun-sized courses!

4-week Residential Options

Communication (COM) 11400- Fundamentals of Speech Communication

A study of communication theories as applied to speech; practical communicative experiences ranging from interpersonal communication and small group process through problem identification and solution in discussion to informative and persuasive speaking in standard speaker-audience situations. 3 credits.

Managment (MGMT) 20000- Introductory Accounting

The objectives of the course are to help students: (1) understand what is in financial statements and what the statements say about a business, (2) identify the business activities that caused the amounts that appear in the statements, and (3) understand how, when, and at what amount the effects of manager and employee actions will appear in the statements. 3 credits.

Sociology (SOC) 10000- Introductory Sociology

A survey course designed to introduce the student to the scene of human society. Fundamental concepts, description, and analysis of society, culture, the socialization process, social institutions, and social change. Students of junior or senior standing should take SOC 31200, unless they are sociology or law and society majors. 3 credits.

Sociology (SOC) 22000 - Social Problems

Students will learn about contemporary problems at the community, society, and international levels, focusing on patterns of social organization and social chanig in American society. Study will be concentrated on topics such as technological militarism and war, pverty, racism, political protest, and cybernation. 3 credits.

Technology (TECH) 12000 - Design Thinking in Technology

Student will engage in critical analysis of real-world problems and global challenges. They will demonstrate the ability to recognize opportunity and to take initiative in developing solutions applying the principles of human centered design. Students will be able to communicate effectively and to work well on teams. Problems and solutions will be examined from societal, cultural, and ethical perspectives. 3 credits.

 

Online Courses
Popular 4-week Options

Anthropology (ANTH) 10000 - Being Human: Introduction to Anthropology

This course introduces anthropology's holistic approach to human nature and behavior. By utilizing cultural, bilogical, archaelogical and lingustic anthropology students will follow the human journey of uniformity and diversity through time and across space. 3 credits.

Anthropology (ANTH) 20500 - Human Cultural Diversity

Offers an engaging introduction to concepts, themes, methods, and ethical concerns that guide research and analysis in cultural anthropology. Students will learn how to identify and interpret the complexities of human culture - what makes cultures different, and in what ways are they more alike than we might assume? Topics include: race and racism; ethnicity and nationalism; gender; sexuality; kinship, family, and marriage; class and inequality; the global economy; politics and power; religion; and health and illness. 3 Credits.

Economics (ECON) 25100 - Microeconomics

Emphasis is on developing a detailed understanding of the principles of microeconomic analysis and their application to market behavior and public policy issues. 3 credits.

Educational Psychology (EDPS) 10101 - Introduction to the Learning Sciences

This introductory course is designed to acquaint students with the core concepts, principles, and research findings of the learning sciences as they apply to a wide range of formal and informal educational contexts. Students will learn about faculty projects that exemplify key features of the Learning Sciences such as attention to the complexity of learning environments, the study of social and cultural as well as individual dimensions of learning, and the cross-disciplinary nature of the field. Live online class discussions occur via Zoom from 11:00 am - 11:50 am on Mondays and Wednesdays from July 12 through August 6.

Political Science (POL) 13000 - Introduction To International Relations

An analysis of the fundamentals of international law, organization, and politics, particularly as relevant to contemporary international relations. Typically offered Fall Spring Summer. CTL:ISH 1003 Introduction To World Politics. 3 credits.

Psychology (PSY) 12000 - Elementary Psychology

Introduction to the fundamental principles of psychology, covering particularly the topics of personality, intelligence, emotion, abnormal behavior, attention, perception, learning, memory, and thinking. As part of their learning experience, students participate in psychological experiments. 3 credits.

Sociology (SOC) 22000 - Social Problems

Students will learn about contemporary problems at the community, society, and international levels, focusing on patterns of social organization and social chanig in American society. Study will be concentrated on topics such as technological militarism and war, pverty, racism, political protest, and cybernation. 3 credits.

Popular 8-week Options

Agricultural Economics (AGEC) 21700 - Economics

National economic problems such as unemployment, recessions, inflation, taxation, bank interest rates, the growth of government, monetary systems, and a rising national debt are discussed along with the principles, policies, and institutions for solving these macroeconomic problems. 3 credits.

Anthropology (ANTH) 20500 - Human Cultural Diversity

Offers an engaging introduction to concepts, themes, methods, and ethical concerns that guide research and analysis in cultural anthropology. Students will learn how to identify and interpret the complexities of human culture - what makes cultures different, and in what ways are they more alike than we might assume? Topics include: race and racism; ethnicity and nationalism; gender; sexuality; kinship, family, and marriage; class and inequality; the global economy; politics and power; religion; and health and illness. 3 Credits.

Computer and Information Technology (CNIT) 13600 - Personal Computing Technology and Applications

This course provides an intermediate coverage of PC technology and problem solving. Topics include computer hardware, operations and ethics, and operating systems and environments. Students will gain hands-on skills with applications such as desktop and file management; word processing; spreadsheets; presentation graphics; electronic mail; personal information management; and internet browsing, searching, and publishing. 3 credits.

Computer Science (CS) 17700 - Programming with Multimedia Objects

Introduction to computers and programming: number representations, primitive data types and operations, basic control structures, programming applets and applications using graphical user interfaces, programming for detecting events and performing actions, processing multimedia objects such as images and sounds. Throughout the course, examples are drawn from a variety of fields in the natural sciences. 4 credits

English (ENG) 10600 - First-Year Composition

Extensive practice in writing clear and effective prose. Instruction in organization, audience, style, and research-based writing. 4 credits.

Entomology (ENTM) 12800 - Investigating Forensic Science

Designed for both forensic science majors and non-majors, this course will provide an overview of the issues affecting the study and practice of forensic science as defined by the National Academy of Science 2009 report: "Strengthening Forensic Science". Using a mixture of popular media (film, television, news articles) as well as more conventional academic peer-reviewed articles, students will learn how the scientific method is applied to forensic investigations including; identifying pseudoscience, crime lab procedures, DNA evidence, errors in thinking and problem solving, types of fraud, and the influence of the "CSI Effect". 3 credit hours.

Entomology (ENTM) 22810 - Forensic Investigation

Forensic science investigation, crime scene management and field data collection techniques. Includes crime scene recognition and the documentation, collection, preservation, and processing of crime scene evidence. Emphasizes the place of field data collection as the first step in a sequence that takes evidence from scene to the lab for analysis and finally into the court of law. 4 credit hours.

Mathematics (MA) 15800 - Precalculus

Functions and Trigonometry - Functions, Trigonometry, and Algebra of calculus topics designed to fully prepare students for all first semester calculus courses. Functions topics include Quadratic, Higher Order Polynomials, Rational, Exponential, Logarithmic, and Trigonometric. Other focuses include graphing of functions and solving application problems. Students must have completed a precalculus or higher course during high school to enroll. 3 credits.

Philosophy (PHIL) 11000 - Introduction to Philosophy

The basic problems and types of philosophy, with special emphasis on the problems of knowledge and the nature of reality. 3 credits.

Philosophy (PHIL) 11100 - Ethics

A study of the nature of moral value and obligation. Topics such as the following will be considered: different conceptions of the good life and standards of right conduct; the relation of nonmoral and moral goodness; determinism, free will, and the problem of moral responsibility; the political and social dimensions of ethics; the principles and methods of moral judgment. Readings will be drawn both from contemporary sources and from the works of such philosophers as Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Butler, Hume, Kant, and J. S. Mill. 3 credits.

Political Science (POL) 22300 - Introduction to Environmental Policy

Study of decision making as modern societies attempt to cope with environmental and natural resources problems. Focuses on the American political system, with some attention to the international dimension. Current policies and issues will be examined. 3 credits. 

Political Science (POL) 23700 - Modern Weapons and International Relations

This course introduces students to the roles that modern weapons systems play in contemporary international relations. 3 credits. 

Sociology (SOC) 22000 - Social Problems

Students will learn about contemporary problems at the community, society, and international levels, focusing on patterns of social organization and social change in American society. Study will be concentrated on topics such as technological militarism and war, poverty, racism, political protest, and cybernation. 3 credits.

Popular 12-week Options

Basic Medical Studies (BMS) 20100 - Applied Domestic Animal Anatomy with Clinical Correlations I

This course is for you if you are interested in pursuing pre-vet, animal sciences, wildlife, biology or biomedical engineering student or pre-med with an interest in learning about mammalian physiology how understanding of physiology can help in treatment of disease. The courses will also help you understand how the body of your pets works, they are just like us! 2 credits. 

NOTE: Below are important websites for determing what college credit you may have already earned during high school.

  • Courses