Assignment of Credit Hours

Course credits are measured in Semester Credit Hours. Semester Credit Hours are awarded, in a standard 15-week semester (14 weeks of instruction plus a final examination), as follows:

• Lecture format – One semester credit hour represents one hour per week of scheduled lecture/seminar/discussion plus two additional hours of work by students outside of class.
• Laboratory format – One semester credit hour represents two to three hours per week of either scheduled and supervised laboratory instruction or independent laboratory work, plus four to six additional hours of work by students outside of class.
• Studio/Performance format – One semester credit hour represents two to three hours per week of scheduled and supervised studio or performance time in art, music, or dance, plus four to six additional hours of work by students outside of class.
• Cooperative Education/Internship/Field Study/Practicum/Clinical format (clinical rounds, student teaching, field work, etc.) – One semester credit hour represents three to four hours per week of supervised or independent practice, plus six to eight additional hours of work by students outside of class.

For the purposes of this procedure, the definition of “semester credit hour” is consistent with the definition within the New Jersey Administrative Code:

“Semester credit hour” means 50 minutes of face-to-face class activity each week for 15 weeks (or the equivalent attained by scheduling more minutes of face-to-face class activity per week for fewer weeks in the semester) in one semester complemented by at least 100 minutes each week of laboratory or outside assignments (or the equivalent thereof for semesters of different length).

For example, a three credit lecture class will ordinarily be scheduled as two 75-80 minute sessions or one session of approximately 150 minutes per week, and students should expect to do at least 300 minutes of work each week outside of class.

For courses offered in a longer or shorter academic term, the times indicated for a standard 15-week semester are appropriately prorated.

For courses taught in online and blended formats, the academic department offering the course is responsible for ensuring that the levels of faculty and student activity are appropriately comparable to those for the same course taught in a traditional format.