Credit Hour Conversion Guidelines

For purposes of the application of this guidance and in accord with federal regulations, a credit hour 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: key phrases being “institutionally established,” “equivalency,” “reasonably approximate,” and “minimum amount.” This includes laboratory work, internships, practicum, studio work, approved non-credit alternative learning and industry-recognized credentials, and other academic work leading toward the awarding of credit hours.  

A contact hour is a measure that represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students and is distinct from the credit hour, which instead reflects student time commitment. 

One credit hour should involve an input of approximately three hours per week for the average student (e.g. one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week) for approximately 15 weeks. This definition applies to all delivery formats, and a three-credit-hour class thus involves the reasonable expectation of 135 hours of total student time commitment for a three-credit hour course. This basic measure may be adjusted proportionately to reflect modified academic calendars and formats of study. For a detailed credit hour conversion chart, check with the Registrar. However, the conversion chart is meant to serve as a reference and ultimately the student’s demonstration of learning outcomes, as verified by the college, will determine the number of equivalent credit hours.