Credit Hour Policy
The United States Department of Education requires that each institution develop a written credit hour policy that conforms to the definition of a credit hour as defined in the Federal Register (34 CFR 600.2 [for purposes of Federal programs and provisions related to accrediting agencies’ assessment of institutions’ determinations of credit hours or other measure of student work] and 602.24(f) [for purposes of title IV student financial assistance programs]).
Federal Definition of the Credit Hour: “… a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:
- One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or,
- At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practice, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.”
It is important to note that there is no requirement that a credit hour exactly duplicate the amount of work in paragraph (1) as is highlighted in the provisions of paragraph (2). The requirement is that a credit hour reasonably approximate that minimum amount of work in paragraph (1).
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Middles States Commission on Higher Education provides guidance to institutions in assigning credit hours that the Carnegie unit
(or credit hour), represented in point (1) above, has served as the traditional unit
of measure, but the Department also recognizes that institutions are developing other
measures of educational content and credit equivalency. The purpose of the credit
hour policy is to ensure that credit hour measures are reasonably equivalent regardless
of how institutions award credit hour to courses and program in various modes of instruction
and teaching and learning formats.1
A credit hour, for Federal purposes, is an institutionally established equivalency
that reasonably approximates some minimum amount of student work reflective of the
amount of work expected in a Carnegie unit, in accordance with commonly accepted practice
in higher education: key phrases “institutionally established,” “equivalency,” “reasonably
approximates,” and “minimum amount.”.2
United States Department of Education defines the relationship of a credit hour to a week of instructional time (CFR 668.3(b)(2) for purposes of an educational program and student eligibility for aid as follows:
- A week of instructional time is any seven-day period in which at least one day of regularly scheduled instruction or examination occurs, exclusive of vacation time, homework, or periods of counseling or orientation.
- In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through, for example, classroom attendance, examinations, practica, laboratory work, internships, supervised studio work, etc.
- In the case of distance education, academic engagement would include, but is not limited to, completing an academic assignment; taking an exam, participating in an interactive tutorial; participating in an instructor assigned study group; contributing to an academic online discussion; initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course, etc.
- Merely logging into the electronic classroom does not constitute academic engagement.
In response to a question regarding how an institution applies the definition of a credit hour to asynchronous online courses, not offered in a classroom setting, the USDE responded as follows: There is no “seat time” requirement implicit in the definition of a credit hour. An institution offering asynchronous online courses would need to determine the amount of student work expected in each online course in order to achieve the course objectives, and to assign a credit hour based on at least an equivalent amount of work as represented in the definition of a credit hour.3
Loyola University Maryland Credit-Hour Compliance
Academic Calendar
Loyola follows the standard academic calendar, 30 weeks of instruction for the academic
year, with semesters 15 weeks in length, fall and spring, excluding designated university
closings and exam periods. Summer sessions and accelerated (short) sessions/courses
vary in length.
Loyola Credit Hour Definition
The Loyola definition of a credit hour formalizes compliance with federal and accreditation
expectations and helps to provide consistency throughout the University. Loyola follows
the Carnegie unit of measure for assigning credits to its undergraduate and graduate
academic courses:
- One credit is equivalent to 50 minutes (at a minimum) of class time (direct instruction) and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work per week.
- Three-credit course will typically meet 150 minutes per week for 15 weeks (37.50 hours, direct faculty instruction).
An equivalent amount of work is required in courses and academic activities where direct instruction is not the primary mode of learning, such as online and hybrid courses, laboratory work, independent study, internships, practica, studio work, etc. Credits will be awarded on the basis of documented learning objectives, expected learning outcomes, and student workload expectations within a specified period of academically engaged time.
Faculty Instruction
| Credits | Faculty Instruction | Total Class Minutes/Hours per Semester |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
50 minutes |
750 minutes (12.50 hours) |
|
2 |
100 minutes |
1,500 minutes (25 hours) |
|
3 |
150 minutes |
2,250 minutes (37.50 hours) |
|
4 |
200 minutes |
3,000 minutes (50 hours) |
|
5 |
250 minutes |
3,750 minutes (62.50 hours) |
|
6 |
300 minutes |
4,500 minutes (75 hours) |
Faculty Instruction and Student Preparation Time
| Credits | Faculty Instruction | Student Preparation | Total Faculty/Student Minutes per Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
50 minutes |
120 minutes |
2,550 minutes |
|
2 |
100 minutes |
240 minutes |
5,100 minutes |
|
3 |
150 minutes |
360 minutes |
7,650 minutes |
|
4 |
200 minutes |
480 minutes |
10,200 minutes |
|
5 |
250 minutes |
600 minutes |
12,750 minutes |
|
6 |
300 minutes |
720 minutes |
15,300 minutes |
Loyola Application of the Credit Hour Policy
Accelerated Sessions: Courses offered within the standard 15-week semester in which the credit hours offered
are the same as standard semester courses. The content and substantive learning outcomes
are the same. These courses must meet the definition of standard lecture contact time
within the time frame the accelerated version is offered (750 minutes per credit).
Lecture/Seminar: Course focuses on principles, concepts or ideas, lecture, discussion and demonstration.
A semester credit hour is earned for fifteen, 50-minute sessions of direct faculty
instruction and a minimum of two hours of student preparation time outside of class
per week throughout the semester. A typical three-credit hour course meets for three, 50-minute sessions or two, 75-minute
sessions a week for fifteen weeks. Most lecture and seminar courses are awarded 3
credits.
Laboratory: Practical application type courses where the major focus is on “hands on” experience
to support student learning (use of equipment, activities, tools, machines generally
found in a laboratory). 1- 2 Laboratory credits represents a minimum of 1 hour per week of lecture or discussion
plus a minimum of 2 – 4 hours of scheduled supervised or independent laboratory work.
Studio: Courses taught as applied study on a private or semi-private basis. Students receive
anywhere from 1 – 2 credits for applied music courses. Private instruction ranges from 30 to 60 minutes with independent practice as prescribed
by the instructor.
Internship/Field Experience: Courses developed for independent learning and the development and application of
job related or practical skills in a particular discipline. These courses allow for
observation, participation, and fieldwork, and are generally offered off campus. Internship
time includes a combination of supervised time by approved experts outside the university,
student assignments, and time supervised by a university instructor.
- Undergraduate: Minimum number of hours varies based on credits
- 3 credit internship – 150 hours throughout the semester
- 1 credit internship - 50 to 100 hours throughout the semester
- Student teaching ranges from 1 – 12 credits - 87.50 – 562.50 hours per semester
- Graduate: Minimum number of hours varies by academic program
- School of Business: Minimum 150 hours for a three-credit internship
- Pastoral Counseling:
- 1 credit internship/externship - 12.50 hours (2.50 hours for 5 weeks)
- 2 credit internship/externship - 25 hours (2.50 hours for 10 weeks)
- 3 credit internship/externship - 37.50 hours (2.50 hours for 15 weeks)
- CPE Units – Standard number of hours for a CPE unit is 400 hours, including class and internship time. Students receive Advanced Standing for PC 707 based on the work completed in this placement. Statement on the transcript reads: Name of the Agency or Institution and Number of CPE Units accepted.
- AAPC, CACREP, NBCC, and MD State Licensure Requirements all stipulate other requirements
- Psychology: Minimum 150 hours for a three-credit internship
- Speech Pathology:
- 1 credit internship/externship – Minimum 90 hours
- 2 credit internship/externship - Minimum 180 hours
- 3 credit internship/externship – Minimum 270 hours
- 4 credit internship/externship – Minimum 360 hours
- School of Education: Number of minutes varies based on type of experience and number
of credits.
- 1 credit Student Teaching – Minimum 187.50 hours
- 5 credits Student Teaching – Minimum 562.50 hours
- 1 credit Profession Growth Experience – Minimum 12.50 hours (750 minutes)
- 2 credit Professional Growth Experience – Minimum 25 hours (1500 minutes)
- 3 – 6 credit Internship/Practicum - 50 - 200 hours
Practicum/Student Teaching: Courses developed for independent learning and the development and application of job related or practical skills in a particular discipline. These courses allow for observation, participation, client evaluation, fieldwork, and are offered off campus. Internship time includes a combination of supervised time by approved experts outside the university, student assignments, and time supervised by a university instructor (See above).
Clinical Placement: Supervised experiences where students are afforded an opportunity to apply skills and techniques acquired from assessment and intervention-oriented course material. Number of hours varies by academic program based on clinical placement site hour requirements and student assignments (See above).
Independent Study: Courses that permit a student to study a subject or topic in considerable depth beyond the scope of a regular course. Students meet periodically, as agreed upon with the faculty member, for the duration of the course. University faculty provides guidance, criticism, and review of the student’s work. Students demonstrate competency through the completion of a final assessment either by submitting a final paper, project or portfolio, etc. as required by the faculty member. Credit hours are assigned based on the amount of activity associated with the course, faculty supervision, and amount of student outside work.
Private Study: Courses that are regular courses, not available in the semester and that the student has not been able to schedule in the regular sequence. Scope, assignments, and requirements for a private study course are the same as for the regular course with the same course number, title, and description. Student meets with the instructor on a regular basis, meeting the equivalent number of minutes as required for the associated course.
Thesis/Dissertation: Courses, where students are working on independent projects such as thesis/dissertation, will conform to the standard minimum of 50 minutes of student work per credit hour, per week, throughout the course of the semester or the equivalent amount of work distributed over a different period of time. For a 15-week semester this would be a minimum of 37.50 hours for a three-credit course.
Hybrid: A course is considered hybrid (or blended) when it is composed of both online learning and classroom learning and incorporates the best features of both environments to meet the learning objectives of the course. Thirty percent or more and less than 50% of the course is taught online with the remaining taught face-to-face. For a three-credit course, at least 45 minutes (.75 hours) and less than 75 minutes (1.25 hours) a week is scheduled online with the remaining time scheduled face-to-face. The total minutes of instruction equals 150 minutes per week.
Online (Asynchronous): Courses where “instructors and students do not meet in the same space”. Regardless of mode of instruction, courses should be consistent in terms of quality, assessment, learning outcomes, requirements, etc. as courses offered face-to-face with the same department prefix, number, and course title. Faculty must demonstrate active academic engagement through interactive methods, including but not limited to, interactive tutorials, group discussions, virtual study/project groups, discussion boards, chat rooms, etc. Simply logging on, either by faculty or students, does not constitute active student learning. Credit hours assigned to a course delivered online must equal the number of credit hours for the same course delivered face-to-face.
1. Middle States Commission on Higher Education: Credit Hours Policy ↩
2. United States Department of Education: Guidance to Institutions and Accrediting Agencies Regarding a Credit Hour as Defined in the Final Regulations Published on October 19, 2010 ↩
3. United States Department of Education: Guidance to Institutions and Accrediting Agencies Regarding a Credit Hour as Defined in the Final Regulations Published on October 19, 2010 ↩