The phrase "an academic challenge" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a difficult task or situation related to education or scholarly work.
Example: "Completing a thesis can be an academic challenge for many students, requiring extensive research and critical thinking skills."
Alternatives: "an educational hurdle" or "an intellectual difficulty".
There is also an academic challenge for students.
People who take Mr. King's classes seek an academic challenge, said Lesley Rosenzweig, director of recreation programs in Cherry Hill.
Whether a student is unhappy at a particular university, looking for different opportunities or ready for an academic challenge, the option of switching schools does exist.
Not only are students less likely to hear what a teacher is saying, they are also more likely to give up on an academic challenge.
Steve Richard, 14, of Harwinton, a freshman at Taft, sought a boarding school because his public school didn't have a football team and Taft offered him financial aid, his three favorite sports and an academic challenge.
He says he hears concern from students and parents that the program is tough on the G.P.A. But, Mr. Muth says, "if a school offers those classes and a student doesn't take them, then do they want an academic challenge?
On the other hand, it may be that the most capable students can handle any academic challenge presented to them.
High school students take the rigorous exams for an extra academic challenge and, if they pass, to receive college credit or to be placed in a more advanced course.
Inspired by learning experiences both in and out of the classroom -- around campus and across the globe -- all Princeton undergraduates tackle a monumental academic challenge by completing a senior thesis.
Advancing prokaryotic taxonomy constitutes a contemporary academic challenge as well as practical necessity.
Indeed, Roxbury Prep combines a stimulating academic challenge to students with constant communication with parents and guardians.
