Online course delivery makes possible one innovation which can provide each student with greater program flexibility as well as some personal ownership of the direction and pace of his degree progress. This concept can be called the "container course." A container course is the offering of more than one course simultaneously under a single course number with a non-specific catalog description. It differs from traditional catalog titles such as "Special Projects" or "Independent Study" in that it contains the full content of courses that also may be taught under their own catalog numbers at other times rather than as a unique special arrangement between a professor and a single student. In this article, the author discusses the benefits and challenges of container courses, and provides tips for making container courses work smoothly.