RIT offers accelerated courses during the Summer terms, as well as accelerated online courses within semesters. Accelerated courses at RIT are usually half the length of the regular semester.

Time-shortened courses—also referred to as accelerated, compressed, condensed, and intensive courses—facilitate the completion of educational requirements in an abbreviated format while still requiring the same number of instructional contact hours as traditional length courses (Edgecombe, 2011). At RIT, considers courses offered in fewer than 10 weeks to be "time-shortened."

In studies that have addressed the academic rigor of time-shortened versus traditional courses, there is consensus that time-shortened courses generate comparable and, in some cases, better learning outcomes than traditional length courses (Edgecombe, 2011). There is general agreement that time-shortened courses give students “less time to forget” content and that longer instructional blocks provide opportunities for instructors to vary classroom activities and encourage the development of stronger student–instructor relationships—both of which are assumed to benefit student learning (Edgecombe, 2011). 

Edgecombe, Nikki. "Accelerating the Academic Achievement of Students Referred to Developmental Education. CCRC Working Paper No. 30." Community College Research Center, Columbia University (2011).