credit hour assignment policy

Assigning Course Credit Hours Policy

Click Here for Policy PDF

STATEMENT OF POLICY

This policy sets forth the principles and procedures at New York University (“NYU,” the “University”) for assigning credit hours to courses completed for academic credit, and how the University maintains ongoing compliance with this policy through regular evaluation of internal procedures and practices.

NYU is committed to providing all students with an excellent, comprehensive academic experience that supports achievement of their course and program learning outcomes. As part of this commitment, and to ensure ongoing compliance with federal, state, and accreditation requirements, NYU uses the credit hour as the measurement of academic credit granted for course work completed. A credit hour is “a unit of measure that gives value to the level of instruction, academic rigor, and time requirements for a course taken at an institution of higher education” (1).  The appropriate assignment of credit hours to courses plays a critical role in meeting the requirements of government and accrediting agencies, disbursing federal financial aid to students,  awarding transfer credits, and conducting internal reviews of new and existing program requirements.

NYU adheres to the New York State Education Department (“NYSED”) semester hour regulations, United States Department of Education (“USDE”) credit hour guidelines (2) , and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (“MSCHE,” “Middle States”) credit hour policy and procedures (3).

TO WHOM THE POLICY AND PROCEDURES APPLY

The policy and procedures apply to all schools of NYU, at all campuses, locations and sites, that offer classes for credit.

CREDIT HOUR PROCEDURE

At NYU, the Dean or Director of each school, institute, or center is responsible for ensuring that their unit establishes, maintains, and tracks appropriate procedures for assigning course credit hours. While internal protocols may vary depending on school culture and practices, they must align with the requirements as outlined in the University-wide credit hour policy and procedures. 

ASSIGNING CREDIT HOURS AND CALCULATING INSTRUCTIONAL AND SUPPLEMENTARY TIME   

The number of credit hours awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course reflects achievement of the stated course learning outcomes and the appropriate amount of instructional and supplementary time associated with the course requirements. Course expectations should be clear to students prior to the start of the course.

Regardless of program, discipline, credential, length, location, semester, term and modality, all credit-granting courses must include the appropriate amount of instructional and supplementary minutes according to the number of credits granted. Instructional time includes any required and supervised course activity, such as lectures, labs, recitations and proctored exams, as well as other synchronous and asynchronous activities that occur outside the class meeting time. Supplementary time includes all required, non-supervised work a student is expected to complete for a course, such as homework, assigned reading, independent research and non-supervised group work.

The total amount of instructional and supplementary time required for a given course is determined according to NYSED regulations (4), which also align with federal and accreditation guidelines. A 15-week semester using a 50-minute measure of an “hour” requires 750 total minutes of instructional time and 1500 minutes of supplementary time for a 1-credit course. Regardless of the semester or session length, the total minutes required should add up appropriately in relation to the credit hour awarded.

Instructional time may be provided through both scheduled class meeting times and other supervised and required course activities outside the regular meeting time. Required, supervised, and regularly occurring synchronous course activities outside the classroom should be included in the class meeting pattern in Albert SIS, the University’s student information system.  Course syllabi should also reflect other required and supervised course activities that are either asynchronous or synchronous and not offered on a weekly or regular basis.

Online courses, studio and performance-based courses, and non-class-based courses (i.e., internships, field experiences, independent study, thesis writing, etc.) involve specific approaches to the assigning and documenting of credit hours. Schools are responsible for providing their faculty with direct guidance for demonstrating how credit hours are appropriately assigned in these cases.  Academic Associate Deans  should consult with the Office of Academic Program Review & Assessment (“OAPRA”) when further support is needed in working with their faculty on questions related to credit hour. 

Programs leading to licensure and those with specific external accreditations may require additional considerations with the appropriate awarding of credit hours. Schools should consult with the OAPRA for further support as needed. 

University-Wide Program Review Procedures 

The University-wide Undergraduate Program Committee (“UPC”) and Graduate Program Committee (“GPC”) are responsible for reviewing and confirming appropriate credit hour calculations for all course syllabi submitted as part of new program proposals.  

Schools are responsible for ensuring that all proposals for new programs and program changes prepared for NYSED review and submitted to OAPRA appropriately demonstrate on course syllabi how instructional and supplementary time requirements are met. NYSED approves proposals for new programs and substantial program changes for existing programs when all requirements are met, including successful demonstration of credit hour compliance on course syllabi. 

PERIODIC EVALUATION OF POLICY & PROCEDURE 

To ensure ongoing consistency in the appropriate assignment of credit for all credit-bearing courses, and to ensure ongoing alignment with course and program learning outcomes, NYU schools are charged with developing and maintaining internal systems to review and document the appropriate assignment of credit hours for all courses. This includes documenting any instructional time that occurs outside the class meeting pattern captured in Albert SIS. Schools, and any university-wide committees which do such reviewing, are charged with having elected T-Faculty and C-Faculty representatives involved. 

On an annual basis, all Deans are responsible for providing the Office of the Provost with an accounting of how all courses are appropriately assigning credit hours, including how instructional time is met in those courses. 

On an annual basis, the UPC and GPC will review templates and forms used by schools’ curriculum committees to evaluate proposals for new courses, with a particular focus on guidelines for meeting instructional time requirements.    

On an annual basis, the Office of the Provost will review this policy and procedure to confirm it continues to comply with NYSED semester hour regulations, USDE credit hour guidelines , and the Middle States credit hour policy and procedures. 

NYU reserves the right to modify this policy and the accompanying procedures as necessary to comply with federal or state law.

• Credit Hour Policy , Middle States Commission on Higher Education effective July 1, 2022 
•   Institutional Eligibility Under the Higher Education Act of 1965 , U.S. Department of Education, 600.2 Definitions, Clock Hour & Credit Hour, p. 78
•   Credit Hour Policy & Credit Hour Procedures , Middle States Commission on Higher Education, effective July 1, 2022
•  Commissioner’s Regulations, Section 50.1(o) , New York State Education Department
• Dates of official enactment and amendments: May 31, 2023
• Cross References: N/A

About This Policy

Effective Date May 31, 2023 Supersedes Assigning Course Credit Hours Policy on Dec 10, 2013 Issuing Authority Provost Responsible Officer Vice Provost

"Credit hour” as defined by MSCHE, “an amount of student work defined by an institution, as approved by the institution’s accrediting agency or State approval agency, that is consistent with commonly accepted practice in postsecondary education and that reasonably approximates not less than (i) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week 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 period of time; or (ii) At least an equivalent amount of work as required in (i) of  this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours; and permits an institution, in determining the amount of work associated with a credit hour, to take into account a variety of delivery methods, measurements of student work, academic calendars, disciplines, and degree levels. (federal definition in 34 CFR § 600.2)” ( Credit Hour Procedure ). 

“Distance education”  Distance education refers to all non-in-person activities that support synchronous or asynchronous learning. In practice, distance education is any education delivered over the internet. 

“Instructional Time”  Instructional time includes any required and supervised course activity, such as lectures, labs, recitations and proctored exams, as well as other synchronous and asynchronous activities that occur outside the meeting class time. 

“Semester hour” as defined by NYSED, “a credit, point, or other unit granted for the satisfactory completion of a course which requires at least 15 hours (of 50-60 minutes each) of instruction and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments, except as otherwise provided pursuant to section 52.2(c)(4) of the Commissioner’s Regulations. ( NYSED Credit Hour Definition ). 

“School” refers to each NYU school, college or institute that offers degree programs; NYU Shanghai and NYU Abu Dhabi; and all NYU global sites. 

" Supplementary Time” Supplementary time includes all work a student is expected to complete for a course that is not supervised, such as homework, assigned reading, independent research and non-supervised group work.

Graduate School

Article xii. howard university credit hour assignment policy, article xii. howard university credit hour assignment policy.

www.provost.howard.edu/Policy/CreditHourPolicy.pdf

The Credit Hour Assignment Policy is intended to ensure that the number credits awarded per each transferable course reflects Howard University’s academic rigor and contact hour requirement. University transfer credit hour values are based on the credit hour value assigned by the originating institution and the appropriate conversion is made to yield semester credit hours when deemed necessary. If the academic calendar of the originating institution is not following a semester system, the appropriate conversion of the assessed credit hours of course work will take place based on the calendar of the originating institution and the formula for converting to semester credit hours. (Quarter hours are multiplied by .667 to convert them to semester hours)

Assignment of Credit Hours

All courses taken for credit at New York Institute of Technology, which are applied toward degree and certificate completion requirements, conform to applicable state and federal regulations concerning the assignment of credit hours. The following provides information concerning credit hour assignment policies.

I. Credit Hour Definition

New York State Education Department:

All credit-bearing degree and certificate programs at New York Institute of Technology are approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Calculation of credit hours for these programs follows NYSED guidelines, which are consistent with the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of a credit hour.

Section 50.1(o) of the New York State Commissioner of Education Regulations provides:

Semester hour means a credit, point, or other unit granted for the satisfactory completion of a course which requires at least 15 hours (of 50 minutes each) of instruction and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments, except as otherwise provided pursuant to section 52.2(c)(4) of this Subchapter. This basic measure shall be adjusted proportionately to translate the value of other academic calendars and formats of study in relation to the credit granted for study during the two semesters that comprise an academic year.

Section 52.2(c)(4) of the Regulations stipulates:

A semester hour of credit may be granted by an institution for fewer hours of instruction and study than those specified in subdivision (o) of section 50.1 of this Subchapter only:

• when approved by the commissioner as part of a registered curriculum;
• when the commissioner has granted prior approval for the institution to maintain a statement of academic standards that defines the considerations which establish equivalency of instruction and study and such statement has been adopted by the institution; or
• in the event of a temporary closure of an institution by the State or local government as a result of a disaster, as defined in section 50.1(w) of this Title, when the commissioner has granted approval for the institution to maintain a statement of academic standards that defines the considerations which establish equivalency of instruction and study and such statement has been adopted by the institution.

U.S. Department of Education:

Section 600.2 of the Code of Federal Regulations defines "credit hour" as:

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 each week 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 (2) 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, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

The U.S. Department of Education guidance on Program Integrity regulations related to the credit hour ( https://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2009/credit.html ) also state:

The credit-hour definition does not dictate particular amounts of classroom time versus out-of-class student work. Further note that the definition provides that a credit hour may be for an equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. There is no requirement that a three-semester hour course meet three hours per week during a semester or a three-quarter-hour course meet three hours per week during a quarter. The requirement is that the institution determine that there is an amount of student work for a credit hour that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of class and two hours of out-of-class student work per week over a semester for a semester hour or a quarter for a quarter hour.

II. Credit Hour Assignment Policies

All credit hours awarded by NYIT will conform to the state and federal definitions and requirements listed above. These guidelines are also in compliance with policies set forth by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

New York Institute of Technology generally follows a semester system with fall and spring semesters consisting of a minimum of 15 weeks, which includes one week for exams. Semesters include two cycles which are approximately seven weeks long but nonetheless adhere to the policy in terms of the amount of work required. The summer session is approximately two months and includes three sessions of varying lengths, which adhere to the policy in terms of meeting time and the amount of work required.

Individual schools are responsible for developing, maintaining and evaluating the curriculum within an academic program, although the Board of Trustees or their representative retain final control and approval of the curriculum.

Assignment of credit hours for courses is determined within the program based on faculty expertise and course learning objectives. Existing courses will be evaluated for adherence to the state and federal credit hour regulation using an annual audit. New courses will, upon review and approval at the program level, be reviewed by the Academic Senate which will approve or deny the proposals. The Academic Senate is charged with following the policy on credit hours in their review and approval of all courses and curricula and for certifying that the expected student learning for the course meets the credit hour standard.

Approved courses are sent to the Registrar’s Office for inclusion in the Catalog. The Registrar’s Office reviews the class schedules prior to the start of each semester to ensure that all classes are scheduled appropriately, or otherwise notes when course schedules do not match assigned credit hours. Any discrepancies ae brought to the attention of the appropriate department for correction or explanation.

The following provides general guidance on how the credit hour translates to the particular instruction method.

Lecture and Seminar: Courses with multiple students which meet to engage in various forms of group instruction under the direct supervision of a faculty member. The minimum contact time (that is, direct instructor-led time) per credit per week is typically one (50 minute) hour for each credit (1:1 ratio of contact time to credits, per week). In addition, students are assigned two (50 minute) hours of outside work for each credit, per week. Examples of the minimal amounts for each activity on a per credit basis are displayed in the table below, using a traditional 15-week semester as the base.

Laboratory: Courses with a focus on experiential learning under the direct supervision of a faculty member wherein the student performs substantive work in a laboratory setting. The minimum contact time per credit is typically twice that of a lecture (2:1 ratio).

Tutorials: Courses of study designed in instances where enrollment has fallen below established standards but under conditions where a student or students require that course be offered to make academic progress or to graduate. In such instances, the faculty member will work with the student(s) to arrange meeting times which may or may not match the normal course schedule. In all such instances, courses must match the minimum instructional time and minimum out of class student work per week using the examples listed above, and the faculty member is required to keep records of the meeting times and length so that contact hours can be calculated.

Internship/Practica/Field Experience: Courses of study in which a faculty member regularly interacts and directs student outcomes with periodic contact, but where the actual learning environment takes place off-campus at an approved site. The learning experience will typically involve a site supervisor or preceptor and directed activity/learning will occur outside of a lecture setting. Contact time and outside student work requirements must be established and documented, and must match the total amount of work using the example above. The faculty member or program director responsible for the experience is required to keep records of amount of supervised work and the amount of outside work assigned so that contact hours can be calculated.

Accelerated Courses: Courses offered outside of a standard 15-week semester (also known as “cycles”) in which the credit hours offered are the same as standard semester courses and the content and substantive learning outcomes are the same as those in the standard semester. These courses must meet the total amount of instructional and student work time as the examples below even if delivered within an accelerated time frame.

Online Courses: Courses offered a minimum of 80% online. These courses have the same learning outcomes and substantive components of a standard lecture / seminar course with an alternative delivery method. Contact time is satisfied by several means which can include, but is not limited to, the following: a.) regular instruction or interaction with a faculty member, b.) academic engagement through interactive tutorials, group discussions moderated by faculty, virtual study/project groups, engaging with class peers and computer tutorials graded and reviewed by faculty. In all such instances, these courses must meet the total amount of instructional and student work time as the examples below even if delivered online or asynchronously.

Blended Courses: Courses offered in a blended format with 50–79% online and 20–50% face-to-face class sessions, both containing direct interaction with a faculty member. Contact time is assessed using both on-site definitions (for the on-site portion) and online definitions as above (for the online portion). In all such instances, these courses must meet the total amount of instructional and student work time as the examples below even if delivered online or asynchronously.

For each credit:

For a typical 3 credit course:

By continuing to use the website, you consent to analytics tracking per NYIT's Privacy Statement Accept Cookies

• Alumnus/Alumna
• Current Student
• Faculty or Staff
• Future Student
• Accreditations
• Board of Trustees
• College Awards and Recognition
• College Leadership
• Contact HCCC
• Mission, Vision and Values
• Office of the President
• Policies, Procedures, and Regulations
• Visiting HCCC
• Explore All Programs
• Academic Pathways
• College Catalog
• Continuing Education
• Hudson Online
• Special Programs
• Workforce Development
• Admissions Events
• Applying to HCCC
• Registering for Classes
• Summer Registration
• Testing and Assessment
• Year Up NY/NJ
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships
• Tuition and Fees
• Academic Support Services
• Career and Transfer Pathways
• Educational Opportunity Fund
• First-Year Experience
• Gateway to Innovation
• Navigate360
• New Student Orientation
• Personal Support
• Student Life
• Student Resources
• Student Services
• DEI Policies and Procedures
• Foundational DEI Community Resources
• Free Training Opportunities
• Meet the DEI Team
• President’s Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (PACDEI)
• Recorded Archives
• The ABCs of DEI
• The Office of Veterans Affairs and International Student Services
• Advancement and Comm.
• Alumni Services
• Arts at HCCC
• Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation
• Culinary Conference Center
• Eat On Campus
• External Affairs
• Return to Campus
• Safety and Security
• Administration
• Calendars and Catalogs
• Liberty Link
• MyHudson Portal
• News and Media

Credit Hour Assignment Policy

The purpose of the Policy on Credit Hour Assignment is to ensure that credit hours at Hudson County Community College (“College”) are assigned in a consistent manner across all credit-bearing programs and courses. Consistent assignment of credit hours has implications for students’ ability to transfer credits to other institutions of higher education, for federal and state funding, for the disbursement of financial aid, and for the College’s ability to comply with the standards of its institutional accreditor. 

The College and its Board of Trustees (“Board”) are committed to assigning credit hours in a manner that is compliant with regulations and guidelines promulgated by the U.S. Department of Education; the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education of New Jersey; and the College’s institutional accrediting agency, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The assignment of credit hours shall facilitate the delivery of high-quality academic programs and courses that maintain academic rigor in the conveyance of program and course content. The College and its Board charge the Office of Academic Affairs to assign credit hours across the College’s credit-bearing programs and courses in a consistent and compliant manner.  The Board delegates to the President the responsibility to develop procedures and guidelines for the implementation of this policy. The Office of Academic Affairs shall be responsible for implementing the procedures and guidelines developed for this policy. 

Approved: October 2021 Approved by: Board of Trustees Category: Academic Affairs Subcategory: Credit Hour Assignment Scheduled for Review: October 2024 Responsible Department: Academic Affairs

Return to Policies and Procedures

• Request Info

Assignment of Credit Hours

Introduction.

Through this policy ACPHS affirms its use of the “credit hour” as the College’s basic institutional measure of instructional level and rigor.  The College further acknowledges the definition of credit hour provided by the U.S. Department of Education (included below) upon which the details of this policy are based.

The U.S. Department of Education defines “credit hour” as “…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, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.”

Academic Calendar

The Registrar is responsible for preparing the College’s Academic Calendar.  Semesters are to be fifteen instructional weeks in length including fourteen weeks of scheduled course meetings and one week of final exams.  The semester schedule is adjusted as necessary to ensure that there are an equal number of scheduled Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Credit Hour Equivalencies

ACPHS awards credit for the various instructions settings as described below.  Note that this represents the minimum expectation the College has for each setting.

Lecture, Seminar, Recitation  

One credit hour is awarded for the equivalent of fifteen 50-minute instructional sessions (12.5 total hours) that includes an expectation of two hours of outside study associated with each class session (30 total hours).  Classes not giving final exams are expected to assign an out of class activity or final project to account for these hours.

Laboratory 

One credit hour is awarded for laboratory courses having the equivalent of:

• fifteen 150-minute instructional sessions for which little or no preparation is expected (2250 total instructional minutes, 37.5 total hours)
• no fewer than twelve 150-minute sessions for which significant outside work (no less than one hour per session) is expected (1800 total instructional minutes, 30 total hours)
• other combinations of laboratory and outside work that reasonably approximates the above

Combination Lecture and Laboratory Courses

Credit hours for courses including both lecture and laboratory components are calculated using the appropriate combination of lecture and laboratory guidelines.

Independent Study and Undergraduate Research Experiences

One credit is awarded for three hours of independent study work per week for fifteen weeks (45 hours).  Likewise, one credit is awarded for three hours of research time per week for fifteen weeks (45 hours).  Each of these is equivalent to fifteen 50-minutes lecture class sessions with two hours of outside work per session.

Experiential Learning  

Expectations regarding the definition of and the awarding of credit for experiential learning varies by discipline and program specific accrediting body.  At ACPHS, one credit hour is awarded for a minimum 40 hours of supervised academic activity in a professional setting.  Expectations regarding required preparation outside of the supervised time varies by experience.

Online Courses

It is expected that the learning outcomes for online courses are consistent with those of their conventional counterparts.  The College abides by the requirements of the NYS Department of Education that “Time on Task” (the total learning time spent by a student in a college course) be used in the granting of credit hours for online courses where one credit hour equates to 45 hours of time.  Time on Task approximates the amount of time a student doing satisfactory work would take to complete the work of the course and includes:

• reading course presentations/ "lectures"
• reading other materials
• participation in online discussions
• doing research
• writing papers or other assignments
• completing all other assignments (e.g. projects)

Documentation of Course Expectations

The College uses a course approval process that, at a minimum, requires the approval of the department offering the course.  Course approval requires the completion of a course proposal that documents the expected topic coverage and associated in-class schedule by week.  It is the responsibility of the approving department to ensure the appropriateness of these schedules and consistency with the proposed credit hour assignment.

Expectations for independent study and research vary by student and experience.  Specific requirements for each student are documented by faculty in the respective forms and approved by the Department Chair of the department granting the credit.  These forms are submitted to and archived by the Registrar’s office.

Course Scheduling

The scheduling of courses is made by the respective Department Chairs and executed by the Registrar.  Both hold responsibility for ensuring that the expectations of this policy are met.

Alternate Schedules

The awarding of credit for a course is not impacted by the calendar under which it is taught as long as the total hours remain unchanged.  That is, a course carries the same credit hours whether offered under a regular semester schedule, during a summer session, or in an accelerated manner (e.g. in Vermont).

Cancellation of Classes

When a faculty member needs to cancel class for reasons such as illness, jury duty, professional service obligations, or attendance at a professional conference, it is expected that the total instructional hours of the class be maintained by holding a make up class, providing a recorded lecture, assigning an appropriate activity, or other approach. If the College is closed, faculty are expected to make up the instructional hours through one of the means listed above.

Middle States Commission of Higher Education Credit Hour Policy                  https://msche.my.salesforce.com/sfc/p/#46000000ZDJj/a/46000000XprZ/9QoYhBwk.X.JTjSqSgv4dqTw83Rvhz7rJbVZB5lEUlQ

GEN-11-06 Guidance to Institutions and Accrediting Agencies Regarding a Credit Hour as Defined in the Final Regulations Published on October 29, 2010                                                                              https://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/attachments/GEN1106.pdf

New York State Distance Education Program Policies, Determining Time on Task in Online Education   http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/distance-education-program-policies

SUNY University-wide Credit Hour Policy                                                         https://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=168

Higher Learning Commission

•  | 
• Policies  | 
• Section 2: Compliance With Federal Regulation  | 
• Assignment of Credits (FDCR.A.10.020)

Policy Title: Assignment of Credits, Program Length and Tuition

Number: fdcr.a.10.020.

An institution shall be able to equate its learning experiences with semester or quarter credit hours using practices common to institutions of higher education, to justify the lengths of its programs in comparison to similar programs found in accredited institutions of higher education, and to justify any program-specific tuition in terms of program costs, program length, and program objectives. Institutions shall notify HLC of any significant changes in the relationships among credits, program length, and tuition.

Assignment of Credit Hours . The institution’s assignment and award of credit hours shall conform to commonly accepted practices in higher education. Those institutions seeking, or participating in, Title IV federal financial aid, shall demonstrate that they have policies determining the credit hours awarded to courses and programs in keeping with commonly-accepted practices in higher education and with any federal definition of the credit hour, as may appear in federal regulations and that institutions also have procedures that result in an appropriate awarding of institutional credit in conformity with the policies established by the institution.

HLC Review. HLC shall review an institution’s compliance with this policy in conjunction with a comprehensive evaluation for Candidacy, Initial Accreditation or Reaffirmation of Accreditation during HLC’s assurance process. Institutions shall also produce evidence of compliance with this policy upon demand in accordance with HLC policy. HLC may sample or use other techniques to review selected institutional programs to ensure that it has reviewed the reliability and accuracy of the institution’s assignment of credit. HLC shall monitor, through its established monitoring processes, the resolution of any concerns related to an institution’s compliance with this policy as identified during that evaluation and shall require that an institution remedy any deficiency in this regard by a date certain but not to exceed two years from the date of the action identifying the deficiency.

HLC Action for Systemic Noncompliance. In addition to taking appropriate action related to the institution’s compliance with the Federal Compliance Requirements, HLC shall notify the Secretary of Education if, following any review process identified above or through any other mechanism, HLC finds systemic noncompliance with HLC’s policies in this section regarding the awarding of academic credit.

HLC shall understand systemic noncompliance to mean that an institution lacks policies to determine the appropriate awarding of academic credit or that there is an awarding by an institution of institutional credit across multiple programs or divisions or affecting significant numbers of students not in conformity with the policies established by the institution or with commonly accepted practices in higher education.

Policy History

Last Revised: November 2020 First Adopted: February 1996 Revision History: Adopted February 1996, effective September 1996; revised November 2011; revised and combined with policies 3.10, 3.10(a), 3.10b), and 3.10(c) June 2012; revised June 2019, effective September 1, 2019; revised November 2020 Notes: Former policy number 4.0(a). In February 2021, references to the Higher Learning Commission as “the Commission” were replaced with the term “HLC.”

The Higher Learning Commission word mark is a registered trademark owned by the Higher Learning Commission.

230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604

800.621.7440 / 312.263.0456

•  Contact Us
•  Privacy Notice

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

• A to Z Index

Assignment for Credit Hour Policy

• Academic Affairs and Faculty
• Student Affairs

Policy Author: EPC

Responsible Office – Department: Registrar

Effective Date of Policy: Fall 2021

Establish a guideline for assignment of credit hours

Scope and Applicability:

Students and Faculty

Policy Narrative:

All courses taken for credit at Daemen University that apply toward completion of degree and certificate completion requirements conform to applicable state and federal regulations concerning the assignment of credit hours. The following provides information concerning credit hour assignment policies.

Credit Hour Definition

New york state:.

All credit-bearing degree and certificate programs at Daemen University are approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Calculation of credit hours for these programs follows NYSED guidelines, which are consistent with the US Department of Education’s definition of a credit hour.

Per Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York, Title 8 – Education Department, Chap. II – Regulations of the commissioner, Subchapter A – Higher and Professional Regulations, Part 50- General: (pertinent excerpts)

Section 50.1 (o) stipulates the following:

“ Semester hour means a credit, point or other unit granted for the satisfactory completion of a course which requires at least 15 hours (of 50 minutes each) of instruction and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments, except as otherwise provide pursuant to Section 52,2 (c )(4) of the subchapter. This basic measure shall be adjusted proportionately to translate the value of other academic calendars and formats of study in relation to the credit granted for study during the two semesters that comprise an academic year.”

Section 52.2 (c )(4) stipulates: “ A semester hour of credit may be granted by an institution for fewer hours of instruction and study than those specified in subdivision (o) of section 50.1 of this Subchapter only:(i) when approved by the commissioner as part of a registered curriculum; (ii) when the commissioner has granted prior approval for the institution to maintain a statement of academic standards that defines the considerations which establish equivalency of instruction and study and such statement has been adopted by the institution; or (iii) in the event of a temporary closure of an institution by the State or local government as a result of a disaster, as defined in section 50.1(w) of this Title, when the commissioner has granted approval for the institution to maintain a statement of academic standards that defines the considerations which establish equivalency of instruction and study and such statement has been adopted by the institution.”

U.S. Department of Education

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34: Education, Part 600 – Institutional Eligibility under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, Subpart A – General, Section 600.2 stipulates the following:

“ Credit hour: Except as provided in 34 CFR 668.8 (k) and (l), a credit hour is 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 – (1) one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for on semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hours of credit 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 institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.”

U.S. Department of Education guidance on Program integrity regulations related to the credit hour http://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2009/credit.html also stipulate:

“The credit-hour definition does not dictate particular amounts of classroom time versus out-of class student work. Further note that the definition provides that a credit hour may be for an equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. There is no requirement that a 3- semester hour course meet 3 hours per week during a semester or a 3-quarter-hour course meet 3 hours per week during a quarter. The requirement is that the institution determine that there is an amount of student work for a credit hour that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of class and two hours of out-of-class student work per week over a semester for a semester hour ora quarter for a quarter hour. For example, an institution with a semester-based calendar has a graduate seminar for which it awards 3 semester hours. The class meets only one hour per week over a 15-week semester with the students expected to perform a substantial amount of outside research that is the equivalent of 8 or more hours of student work each week of the semester. For purposes of the Federal definition, the institution would be able to award up to 3 semester hours for the course.”

Credit Hour Assignment Policies

All semester credit hours awarded by Daemen will conform to the definitions listed above. Therefore all units of credit awarded will conform to the federal and state definitions.

Daemen University generally follows a semester system with fall and spring semesters consisting of a minimum of 15 weeks, which includes one week for exams. Summer terms are typically less than 15 weeks but adhere to the policy in terms of meeting time and the amount of work required. Terms for certain academic programs (for example, compressed schedules) have been adjusted but nonetheless adhere to the policy in terms of the amount of work required.

The faculty and department chairs are responsible for developing, maintaining and evaluating the curriculum within an academic program. Initial assignment of credit hours for courses is based on faculty expertise and course learning objectives. Existing courses are examined for adherence to the US Department of Education and NYSED credit hour regulations. New courses are, upon review and approval at the program level, reviewed by the Educational Policy Committee (EPC) and recommended for approval or denial.

EPC is charged with sharing and following the guidelines on credit hours in their review and approval of all courses and curricula. As well as certifying that the expected student learning for the course meets the credit hour standard.

Approved courses are shared with the Registrar’s Office for inclusion in the Daemen University Catalog and appropriate semester schedules. The Registrar’s Office reviews the class schedule prior to the start of each semester to ensure that all classes are scheduled for the minimum number of minutes corresponding to the credits assigned. Any discrepancies are brought to the attention of the appropriate department for correction or explanation.

The following information provides general guidance on how the credit hour translates to the particular instructional method. Note, however, that the credit hour definition does not dictate particular amount of classroom time versus out of class student work. The information below serves as general guidance only.

Lecture and Seminar: Course with multiple students which meet to engage in veracious forms of group instruction under the direct supervision of a faculty member.

Lectures and Seminars: Classroom/Faculty Instruction and Outside Student Work

Laboratory: Courses with a focus on experiential learning under the direct supervision of a faculty member wherein the student performs substantive work in a laboratory setting. The minimum contact time per credit is typically twice that of a lecture (2:1 ratio). There are some cases where Lecture and Lab courses are tied together in a 4 + 0 credit hour set. The actual breakdown for classroom time and outside work is lecture is 3 credits and the laboratory is 1 credit of class time.

Laboratory: Classroom/Faculty Instruction and Outside Student Work

Clinicals: Courses with a focus on experiential learning under the direct supervision of a faculty member wherein the student performs substantive work in a clinical setting. The minimum contact time per credit is typically three times that of a lecture (3:1 ratio), depending upon the amount of outside work assigned.

Clinicals: Classroom/Faculty Instruction and Outside Student Work

Independent Study: Courses of study in which a faculty member regularly interacts and directs student outcomes with periodic contact. These courses can also be created in instances where enrollment has fallen below established standards but under conditions where a student or students require that course be offered in order to progress academically (such as the need for a particular course in order to graduate). In either case the minimum credit hours are determined based on faculty instructional contact minutes and student outside work time. In all such instances, such courses must match the total amount of work using the examples listed above.

Internship/Practica/Field Experience/Service Learning : Courses of study in which a faculty member regularly interacts and directs student outcomes with periodic contact, but where the actual learning environment takes place off-campus at an approved site. The learning experience will typically involve a site supervisor or preceptor and directed activity/learning will occur outside of a lecture setting. Contact time and outside student work requirements must be established and documented, and must match the total amount of work using the example above.

Online Courses: Courses offered entirely online without any on-site face-to-face meetings. These courses have the same learning outcomes and substantive components of a standard lecture/seminar course with an alternative delivery method. Contact time is satisfied by several means which can include but is not limited to, the following: a.) regular instruction or interaction with a faculty member once a week for each week the course runs. b.) Academic engagement through interactive tutorials, group discussions moderated by faculty, virtual study/project groups, engaging with class peers and computer tutorials graded and reviewed by faculty. In all such instances, these courses must meet the total amount of instructional and student work time as the examples above, even if delivered online or asynchronously.

Instructional time can be estimated using the faculty’s educated calculation of how much time would be sufficient to achieve satisfactory progress toward learning outcomes on the following activities:

• Reading, viewing or listening to course presentations
• Reading other course materials
• Participation in course interactions (discussions via text, audio, or video)
• Conducting research as part of the class
• Completing class assignments, projects or other assessment activities

This can be accomplished by a faculty member breaking down course activities ahead of the start of the course and providing details regarding specific items and estimated completion time. Throughout the course students can be surveyed to assure the estimates are accurate or corrections can be made for the remainder of the course as well as the next time it’s offered.

Hybrid Courses: Courses offered in a blended format with 1 or more on site face-to-face class sessions and at least one or more online sessions, both containing direct interaction with a faculty member. Contact time is assessed using both on–site definitions (for the on-site portion) and online definitions as above (for the online portion). In all such instances, these courses must meet total amount of instructional and student work time as the examples above, even if delivered online or asynchronously.

Procedures:

Related articles.

• Flyer, Poster, and Chalking Policy
• Radon Testing and Remediation Policy
• Unauthorized Camping on University Property
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) – Animal Subjects Research Policy
• Chosen Name Policy
• Recruitment Policy for Military Service Members and Covered Individuals