Online Courses

How Do Courses Work?

The courses offered are shown in the table below. Enrollment opens one to two months before a course begins. AAVSO membership is not a requirement; members receive a discount on the enrollment fee. You must be logged in to your AAVSO account at time of purchase. Not a member? Become a member prior to course enrollment to receive the member price! Member price (USD) $35.00, non-member $60.00.

• • Courses are mainly conducted in the AAVSO website forum, where the instructor posts reading material and quizzes, and where written class discussions take place. In rare cases, the instructor will point to material elsewhere or utilize Zoom sessions.

• • This is an internationally-friendly format: while there are deadlines for assignments, you can otherwise participate to accommodate your schedule.

• • Courses range from introductory to advanced and cover a variety of topics. Students earn a pass/fail assessment at the end of each course; passing students will receive a certificate of completion.

• • Students typically devote 8-20 hours per week on course-related work.

• • Unless otherwise noted, courses are four weeks long.

• • Descriptions may be seen by clicking on the name of the course in the table below.

What Happens After I Enroll?

Once you enroll, you will receive an email from the AAVSO on the Friday prior to the course beginning with information on how to access the course and participate. After the course is over, students will be sent a survey to provide feedback. Students completing the course successfully will receive a certificate, and their AAVSO web profile will be updated to include the course name.

If you have general CHOICE questions that are not about the course material, or if you do not receive the email by the end of the day (in ET) on the Friday prior to the course starting, please email Elizabeth Waagen.