2024-25 Undergraduate Academic Catalog | Academic Policies and Procedures

Credit Hour Assignment

Traditional semester-based face-to-face lecture courses

  • Academic period: two 15 week semesters (exams built into final week of classes).
  • Recommended instructional time: 50 minutes per credit per week. [Three 50-minute sessions, two 75-minute sessions, or one 150 minute (2½) hour session for a 3-credit course.]
  • Recommended out-of-class time requirements: twice the in-class instructional time.  [100 minutes per credit per week; 300 minutes (5 hours) per week for a 3-credit course.]

Traditional semester-based online courses

  • Academic period: two 15 week semesters (exams built into final week of classes).
  • Recommended instructional time: 50 minutes per credit per week engaged in interaction with faculty and other students – e.g., viewing/reading relevant content information shared by faculty, posting responses to assignments/other students, participating in required “chats” with faculty/other students, etc. [150 minutes (2½  hours) per week for a 3-credit course.]
  • Recommended preparation time requirements: twice the instructional time – the time per week engaged in interaction with faculty and other students. [100 minutes per credit per week; 300 minutes (5 hours) per week for a 3-credit course.].

Traditional Summer School

  • Academic period: four week semesters.
  • Recommended instructional time:187.5 minutes (3+ hours) per credit per week.
  • Recommended preparation time requirements: twice the in-class instructional time – the time per week engaged in interaction with faculty and other students. [375 minutes (6+ hours) per credit per week.]

Traditional Summer School online courses

  • Academic period: four to six week semester
  • Recommended instructional time: 125-187.5 minutes (2-3+ hours) per credit per week engaged in interaction with faculty and other students – e.g., viewing/reading relevant content information shared by faculty, posting responses to assignments/other students, participating in required “chats” with faculty/other students, etc.
  • Recommended preparation time requirements: twice the instructional time – the time per week engaged in interaction with faculty and other students. [250-375 minutes (4-6+) per credit per week.].

 Cohort-based, time-shortened face-to-face lecture courses

  • Academic period: 5, 6, 7, and 8 week modules (courses). The number of credits dictates the number of weeks.
  • Recommended instructional time: 4 hours per week in-class, normally one week night/Saturday morning.
  • Recommended out-of-class time requirements: 20-25 hours per week.

Cohort-based, time-shortened online courses

  • ­ Academic period: 5, 6, 7 and 8 week modules (courses). The number of credits dictates the number of weeks.
  • Recommended instructional time: 4 hours per week engaged in interaction with faculty and other students – e.g., viewing/reading relevant content information shared by faculty, posting responses to assignments/other students, participating in required “chats” with faculty/other students, etc.
  • Recommended preparation time requirements: 20-25 hours per week.

8-week term-based face-to-face lecture course (3 or 4 credits)

  • Academic period: 8 week courses.
  • Recommended instructional time: 2.5 hours per week for a 3-credit course; 3 hours per week for a 4-credit course.
  • Recommended out-of-class time requirements: 15-20 hours per week

8-week term-based online course (3 or 4 credits)

  • Academic period: 8 week courses. The number of credits dictates the number of weeks.
  • Recommended instructional time: 2.5 hours per week for a 3-credit course (3 hours per week for a 4-credit course) engaged in interaction with faculty and other students – e.g., viewing/reading relevant content information shared by faculty, posting responses to assignments/other students, participating in required “chats” with faculty/other students, etc.
  • Recommended preparation time requirements: 15-20 hours per week 

8-week term-based hybrid course (3 credits)

  • Academic period: 8 week courses. The number of credits dictates the number of weeks.
  • Recommended instructional time: 2 per week in-person plus 1 hours per week engaged in interaction with faculty and other students – e.g., viewing/reading relevant content information shared by faculty, posting responses to assignments/other students, participating in required “chats” with faculty/other students, etc.
  • Recommended preparation time requirements: 15-20 hours per week

Policies for  laboratory, studio, clinical, internship, independent study

Internships/Practicums/labs (3 to 1 ratio)

150 minutes per week =1 credits (2.5 hours per week)
300 minutes per week =2 credits (5 hours per week)
450 minutes per week =3 credits (7.5 hours per week)

Studio Art (2 to 1 ratio)

100 minutes per week =1 credit hour (30 hours per semester (25)
200 minutes per week =2 credit hours (60 hours per semester (50)
300 minutes per week =3 credit hours (90 hours per semester (75))

CEU

30 contact hours=1 credit hour