What is a Course Credit?
A “course credit” is the basic unit of measurement, which counts toward the awarding of an undergraduate or graduate degree or a certificate. It equated with time spent learning in class with direct interaction with faculty and expected time students spend studying and working on assignments independently out-of-class. The in-class time is often referred to as contact hours and the out-of-class time is often called preparatory time. Degree programs generally consist of credits that are applied to fulfilling major, general education, and elective requirements.
Credit Hour Formulas
Academic units within the College of the Arts adhere to the following formulas for determining course credit hours. The allotted time anticipated for each course varies by type. (Students should refer to the syllabus for each course to anticipate time and other requirements.)
Credit Hour formulas for:
Lecture Credit Hours:
One lecture credit hour equals a minimum of 150 minutes (50 minutes of class time, plus an expectation of 100 minutes of work outside of class), each week, for 15 weeks.
Studio Credit Hours (for 100-200 level courses):
One 100 and 200 level studio credit hour equals a minimum of 150 minutes (93 minutes of class time, plus an expectation of 57 minutes of independent work), each week for 15 weeks. (Current Exception: ARGS260 Visual Arts Workshop, where one credit hour equals a minimum of 66 minutes of class time, plus an expectation of 84 minutes of independent work, each week for 15 weeks.)
Studio Credit Hours (for 300-higher level courses):
One 300 level or above studio credit hour equals a minimum of 150 minutes (66 minutes of class time, plus an expectation of 84 minutes of independent work), each week for 15 weeks. (Current Exception: ARST400/410 Major Studio Project I and II, where one credit equals a minimum of 25 minutes of class time per week, plus an expectation of 125 minutes of independent work per week, for 15 weeks.)
Online Lecture Credit Hours:
One credit hour of an online lecture course equals a minimum of 750 minutes of online- class time per semester and an expectation of 1500 of independent work per semester.
Internship and Cooperative Education Courses:
Experiential courses such as internships and cooperative education have ranges of credit hour earned and also time expectations, and these depend upon varied work site needs and independent academic work expectations. Credits may range from 3 to 12, however, most are 3, 4 or 8 credits. Internship and cooperative experiential courses are 15 weeks long and include part time and full time options. The time spent per credit hour may be exclusively time on site or a combination of time spent on site and time spent on independent academic work related to the on-site experience. Time on site ranges from 3.3 to 5 hours per credit hour per week and time spent on academic independent work may range from 0 to 1.66 hours per credit hour per week, or 5 total hours of time expected per credit hour per week.
Dance
Lecture Credit Hours:
One Lecture credit hour equals 50 minutes in-class and 100 minutes out-of-class per week for 15 weeks.
Studio Credit Hours:
One Studio credit hour equals a minimum of 100 minutes in-class and a minimum of 150 minutes out-of-class.
Practicum Credit Hours:
Practicum 0.5 credit hour equals 100-330 minutes of in-class faculty instruction, choreography, demonstration, and interaction for 15 weeks with a minimum expectation of 60 hours work out-of-class over approximately 2.5 weeks for a dance production.
Co-op Credit Hours:
Co-op credit equals 80 hours distributed over 15 weeks on a professional assignment.
Music
Lecture Credit Hours:
One Lecture credit hour equals 50 minutes in-class and a minimum of 150 minutes out-of-class each week for 15 weeks, culminating in a scheduled final exam.
Musical Skills Credit Hours:
One Musical Skills credit hour equals 50 minutes in-class, studio, or laboratory work and a minimum of half an hour of focused daily practice out-of-class for 15 weeks, culminating with a juried performance or final examination.
Applied Music Studio Hours:
Applied Music (Private Study), designated as a “Studio,” is offered for two, three, or four credit hours. The studio lesson equals 50 minutes of one-on-one direct instruction and requires a minimum of 50-150 minutes of focused daily independent practice for 15 weeks, culminating with a juried performance. The amount of minimum practice time required is governed by the number of credits, which is related to the specific curriculum in which the student is a matriculant.
Music Literature Credit Hours:
One Music Literature credit hour equals 50 minutes in-class, including required in-class performance, and a weekly minimum of 25 minutes of focused practice plus homework out-of-class each week for 15 weeks with a final examination.
Ensemble Credit Hours:
Undergraduate Ensembles are granted 0.5 credit hour equaling a minimum of 50 minutes in-class work and a weekly minimum of 90 minutes of independent practice each week for 15 weeks, excluding additional rehearsal and performance time.
Practica Credit Hours:
Practica receive 0-1 credit. Performance and music composition practica require a minimum of 60 minutes of out-of-class practice each week for 15 weeks, culminating in a final examination. Music Therapy practica require a minimum of 250 weekly minutes of out-of-class clinical work.
Recital Credit Hours:
Recitals receive 0-1 credit for rehearsal and performance, but mark milestones and capstones in the professional music degree.
Music Therapy Internship Credit Hours:
Music Therapy Internship credit hour equals 1040 hours for six months (clinical experience required for professional certification).
Theatre
Lecture Credit Hours:
One Lecture credit hour equals 50 minutes in-class and a minimum of 100 minutes out-of-class per week for 15 weeks.
Studio Credit Hours:
One Studio credit hour equals a minimum of 50 minutes of in-class faculty interaction and instruction and a minimum of 100 minutes of student work out-of-class per week for 15 weeks.
Practicum Credit Hours:
One Practicum credit hour equals 180 minutes of in-class faculty instruction, demonstration, and interaction with variable out-of-class work per week for 15 weeks plus approximately 64 hours for a 2.5-week theatre production.
Internship Credit Hours:
One Internship credit equals 80 hours distributed over 15 weeks on a professional assignment.