Our asynchronous online courses let you learn during the summer on your own time. Take courses for credit recovery to get back on track toward graduation at no cost to you or take courses for tuition to accelerate your learning.
Our new Housing Industry Careers course offers a deep dive into the multifaceted housing industry, covering every stage from design to maintenance. Learn about architectural principals, construction, real estate, housing systems, and more in this course designed to teach students all about the principals, systems, and professions in the housing industry.
Check out this course and more in our NSO Course Catalog!
This August, Northern Star Online student Ava Valerius showcased her talent and ambition by combining her academic journey with her passion for art. Ava, a senior with Centennial High School, also takes Japanese language classes with Northern Star Online. This summer she entered the Minnesota State Fair K-12 Art Contest and came away with numerous prizes, showcasing her unique artistic abilities.
Ava's art is deeply inspired by her admiration for traditional Japanese culture. "With its vibrancy and historical ties, traditional Japanese art and culture has always spoken to me as an artist," she shared. "As I’ve developed my artistic skills, Japanese art and culture have consistently been a type of 'role model' that I look up to for inspiration."
Beyond art, Ava has her sights set on a future in engineering. For her, art and engineering are intricately connected. “To me, one of the foundations of engineering is art,” she explains. Ava plans to major in engineering and dreams of studying abroad in Japan, a place where “innovation meets rich traditional culture.” Her ambitions don't stop there; she hopes to explore other cultures and investigate how engineering can create positive changes across the globe.
Ava's achievements at the Minnesota State Fair are a testament to her curiosity, creativity, and drive. Congratulations to her on her great success! We are excited to see what the future holds for her as she continues to blend her passion for art, language, culture, and engineering.
Meet your learning goals this school year with course and registration choices that fit your needs. Replace a course during your school day, catch up on credits, or advance your learning with our large variety of courses taught by dedicated, licensed Minnesota teachers.
Enrollment stays open through mid-April, so you can choose the start and end dates, course, and credits that work for your schedule and graduation requirements. Check out our Important Dates to help you create your learning plan.
In 2001, Northern Star Online (NSO) was founded as a collaboration between public schools working together to provide high quality online learning to students in Minnesota.
Throughout the last two decades, we have expanded our course offerings and learning options while remaining committed to providing high quality online learning in a way that works for students and schools. NSO has worked with over 400 schools and is the largest online public school in the state, operating as a responsive, collaborative partner in online learning.
![Summer Course Requests are Open!]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1717083888/district287org/uenhrfcljl3nmsxoauba/nso_student_13.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1717083888/district287org/uenhrfcljl3nmsxoauba/nso_student_13.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1717083888/district287org/uenhrfcljl3nmsxoauba/nso_student_13.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1717083888/district287org/uenhrfcljl3nmsxoauba/nso_student_13.png","width":940}])
![New Course! Housing Industry Careers]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1736181722/district287org/woqhk5qqavknyrzafzqy/HousingIndustryCareers.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1736181722/district287org/woqhk5qqavknyrzafzqy/HousingIndustryCareers.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1736181722/district287org/woqhk5qqavknyrzafzqy/HousingIndustryCareers.png","width":800}])
![NSO Student Wins Big at Minnesota State Fair]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1727724099/district287org/y5um8bm9qwshdmz7wvzw/ava_2_revb.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1727724099/district287org/y5um8bm9qwshdmz7wvzw/ava_2_revb.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1727724099/district287org/y5um8bm9qwshdmz7wvzw/ava_2_revb.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1727724099/district287org/y5um8bm9qwshdmz7wvzw/ava_2_revb.jpg","width":1000}])
![Spring Course Requests Open]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1721239109/district287org/fo5zubztqkqy4xxmi8a8/nso_student_outside.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1721239109/district287org/fo5zubztqkqy4xxmi8a8/nso_student_outside.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1721239109/district287org/fo5zubztqkqy4xxmi8a8/nso_student_outside.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1721239109/district287org/fo5zubztqkqy4xxmi8a8/nso_student_outside.png","width":940}])
![Celebrating 20 Years!]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1718376310/district287org/amz5fyr8oiuchuasnrgt/nso_students_25.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1718376310/district287org/amz5fyr8oiuchuasnrgt/nso_students_25.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1718376310/district287org/amz5fyr8oiuchuasnrgt/nso_students_25.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1718376310/district287org/amz5fyr8oiuchuasnrgt/nso_students_25.jpg","width":1000}])