Credit Hour Definition

The credit hour is the basic unit of credit and credit hours are equivalent to semester hours. The credit hour provides one important measure by which progress toward the degree is gauged. The assignment of credit hours to coursework is not strictly tied to the number of class hours per week. The College recognizes that subject matter, pedagogical methods, and assessment tools will influence the design of any credit-bearing activity, including the frequency and duration of formally-structured faculty-student interactions.

The academic calendar consists of two 13-week terms (fall and spring) and a 3-week term in January (CentreTerm), plus a final exam period at the end of each term. In the fall and spring terms, three credit hour courses typically meet for one hour three days a week or for an hour and a half two days a week. In the January term (CentreTerm), three credit hour courses typically meet for three hours a day four or five days a week.

One credit hour is granted for a minimum of three hours of student academic work per week, on average, for the fall and spring terms. In the CentreTerm, all courses carry three credit hours and a minimum of 36 hours of student academic work per week on average is expected. Academic work includes formal faculty-student interactions (lectures, seminars, laboratories, supervised field work, tutorials, applied and studio instruction, etc.) as well as out-of-class activities such as student-instructor conferences, homework, research, writing and revision, reading, student collaborative and group work, community engaged experiences, academic internship work, practica, recitals, rehearsals, and reflection on all aspects of the coursework.

Courses, including credit-hour assignment, are approved by the faculty through a process that requires review and action by the appropriate academic program as well as the curriculum committee.