Definition of a Credit Hour

Albertus Magnus College recognizes the Carnegie Unit and adheres to the definition of a credit hour as defined by Federal Regulation 34CFR600.2 as passed by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, and by NECHE Commission policy. The College’s definition of a credit hour is as follows:

1. A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction/contact (per credit) and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week (per credit) for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the College including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Application of Credit Hour Policy

Thie credit hour policy applies to all courses at all levels (undergraduate, graduate and professional) that award academic credit (i.e. any course that appears on an official transcript issued by the College) regardless of the mode of delivery including, but not limited to, online, hybrid, lecture, seminar, and laboratory. Academic departments are responsible for ensuring that credit hours are awarded only for work that meets the requirements outlined in this policy.

The expectation of contact time inside the classroom and student effort outside the classroom is the same in all formats of a course whether it be fully online, a hybrid of face-to-face contact with some content delivered by electronic means, or one delivered in lecture or seminar format. Courses that have less structured classroom schedules, such as research seminars, independent studies, internships, practica, studio work, or any other academic work leading to the award of credit hours, at a minimum, should state clearly learning objectives and expected outcomes and workload expectations that meet the standards set forth above.

Contact Time

1 credit = minimum of 750 minutes per semester/module = 12.5 hours per semester/module
2 credits = minimum of 1,500 minutes per semester/module = 25 hours per semester/module
3 credits = minimum of 2,250 minutes per semester/module = 37.5 hours per semester/module
4 credits = minimum of 3,000 minutes per semester/module = 50 hours per semester/module