Alaska Pacific University operates on a 15-week semester system, but with a distinctive twist. Each semester is divided into two parts: the Block and the Session. The Block lasts four weeks; the Session lasts eleven weeks. In the Block you take only one course; in the Session you can take as few as two courses and still maintain full-time status.

A Block course is an opportunity to study a subject intensively without distraction from other courses. It is also an opportunity for students to travel, to become immersed in cultures different from their own, and to learn from direct experience.

The Session lasts eleven weeks, and during this time a full-time student will ordinarily take three courses. The general effect of the Block and Session format is to reduce the number of courses a full-time student is taking at any one time. This leads to greater understanding of each subject, as well as improved retention.