Credit Hour Policy

Per R&P 3.1.3 Course Credit:

1. The amount of study involved in each undergraduate and graduate course varies. The relative weight of each course is measured in terms of "credit hours."
2. Credit is reckoned in hours of effort per week. A credit hour is a course unit normally involving three to four hours of effort per week on the part of the student.
3. Teaching of undergraduate and graduate courses is primarily the responsibility of the faculty. Non-faculty members (teaching assistants, laboratory technicians, etc.) play a secondary, though important, role. The instructor contact should have a significant bearing on the assignment of credit hours.
4. The three-to-four hours of student effort per week per credit includes both in-class contact hours and out-of-class activities. The major parameters influencing the in-class/out-of-class division include the mode of instruction and the level of course.
5. Several traditional modes of instruction, and their implications of student efforts are listed below:
6. Lecture: Predominately a presentation by the instructor, with only limited amount of interaction with students. One hour in-class involves two to three hours of outside preparation/homework, etc. Consequently, each hour of instruction per week corresponds to one credit hour. Lecture sessions are usually 1 to 1-1/2 hours in length.
7. Seminar/Discussion: This mode of instruction involves significant input and interaction by the student, under the guidance of the instructor. Students may take turns presenting new material to class. Considerable outside effort may sometimes be required. Each credit hour may require one to two class hours per week.
8. Laboratory/ drawing/fieldwork: Primarily supervised work, mostly expected to be completed in class. Very little outside preparation is expected. Three hours of in-class activity represents one credit hour.
9. Recitation: This mode of instruction is used for a variety of purposes, but always involves significant amount of instructor/students’ interaction. When combined with lectures, the recitations are typically used to amplify or clarify material taught in mass lectures. In this case, one credit hour for one class hour may be justifiable. On the other hand, if the sessions are primarily used to guide students carrying out homework assignments, these class hours merely substitute for time students would otherwise spend on their own, and no additional credit hour should be assigned. There may be situations that fall between these two modes, so that 1 credit hour may be attached to two hours of recitation. Recitation sessions are usually one to two hours in length.
10. Independent Study: This mode is used primarily at upper undergraduate and graduate levels. The contact-hour per credit is generally less than half-an-hour per week, while the "outside" effort by the student is essentially unlimited. The number of credits is based on the judgment of the supervising faculty member.
11. The prevailing mode of instruction of each course should be included in the course description in the catalog.
12. Any request for change of credit, with or without a change of mode of instruction, should be supported by a realistic estimate of the required student effort.
13. Assignment of credit hours for new courses should be based on a realistic estimate of student effort, using the guidelines in item 5, and in comparison with existing courses of similar level and mode of instruction. (This may lead to a change of credit hours of existing courses.)