Credit Hour Policy

Students earn academic credit measured in semester units.

An academic hour is defined as 50 minutes.

Undergraduate Courses

• 1 semester unit = a minimum of 15 hours of “class time or direct faculty instruction” plus a minimum of 30 hours of out-of-class student work per academic term, for a total of 45 hours of student time on task per semester unit.
   
• Non-classroom credit-bearing academic activities, such as laboratory work, studio work, internships and field practica, require an amount of work at least equivalent to that required for classroom-based units as identified in the syllabus. For example: science laboratories = 45 hours per academic term per unit of credit; studio art classes = 30 hours per academic term per unit of credit; internships and practica = 60 hours per academic term per unit.
   
• As courses that make use of new or mixed modalities, quality and content will be ensured through reasonable equivalencies, clear learning outcomes, and evidence of student achievement.

Graduate Courses

• 1 semester unit = a minimum of 15 hours of “class time or direct faculty instruction” plus a minimum of 45 hours of out-of-class student work per academic term, for a total of 60 hours of student time on task per semester unit.
   
• Non-classroom credit-bearing academic activities, such as laboratory work and field projects, require an amount of work at least equivalent to that required for classroom-based units as identified in the syllabus.
   
• As courses make use of new modalities, quality and content will be ensured through reasonable equivalencies, clear learning outcomes, and evidence of student achievement.