4.33 CREDIT HOURS
Effective: August 15, 2024
Purpose: To outline the requirements of academic work for each credit hour.
Scope: This policy applies to the University campus wide.
Responsible Office: Academic Affairs
Policy Statement: This policy notes that formal instruction may take place in a variety of modes. Other venues for student learning would generally use the definition of four (4) class hours per week as equivalent to one (1) class credit. These other venues might include field experiences, music ensembles, studio experiences, and practicum experiences. At least some of these class hours would be under the direct supervision of an instructor, who ultimately assigns a grade for the experience.
Enrollment for fifteen (15) class credits in a semester would thus require approximately forty-five (45) hours of work per week, on average, over the course of a fifteen (15) week semester for a typical undergraduate student. It is expected that the academic work required of graduate and professional students will exceed three (3) hours per credit per week.
This policy stresses the need for flexibility required by new modes of instruction and scheduling and the need for consistency in transferring class credits among institutions. The responsibility for protecting the academic integrity of curricula, programs, and schedules resides in the office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Graduate Credit for Short Courses
For each unit of graduate credit in intensive courses of short duration (e.g., workshops, skills, didactic or other special courses), there should be at least fifteen (15) hours of direct instruction together with the usual amount of out-of-class scholarly work. Direct instruction should extend over a period of at least three (3) days per credit, with no more than one (1) credit earned per week. In rare instances, the Dean of the Graduate School may authorize exceptions in advance, provided there is documentation that the requirements for direct instruction and outside work are met. Course publicity will indicate the nature of the outside work in sufficient detail as to indicate a reasonable understanding of the amount of work involved for a typical student, as well as a date for completion of the work.
Retroactive Credit in Graduate Courses
If a student enrolls for undergraduate credit in a graduate level class, a dually listed undergraduate/graduate class, or a dual-credit option class, the student cannot later obtain graduate credit for work in this class. Thus, graduate credit cannot be retroactive.
Definitions: All words and phrases shall be interpreted utilizing their plain meanings unless otherwise defined in another University or Board of Regents policy or by statute or regulation.
Distance Learning Class Credit - One distance learning class credit is defined as an equivalent amount of instruction and student work leading to equivalent learning outcomes, as required for an on-campus class as defined above.
Laboratory Credit - One laboratory credit is defined as a minimum of two (2) class hours of work each week in a laboratory under the supervision of a lab supervisor or instruction and an expectation of one (1) class hour of additional out-of- class student work each week.
On-Campus Credit Hour - One on-campus class credit is defined as one (1) class hour (fifty (50) minutes) of classroom or direct faculty instruction per week and a minimum of two (2) class hours of out-of-class student work each week for a minimum of fifteen (15) weeks. Courses with shorter or longer duration would have the number of class hours per week adjusted to be equivalent to the work done in fifteen (15) weeks.
Procedures: All procedures linked and related to the policies above shall have the full force and effect of policy if said procedures have first been properly approved by the University’s administrator in charge of Academic Affairs.
[Academic Affairs procedures - coming soon]
Related Policy Information: [coming soon]