FHSU - 20 hrs/week per 3 credit grad class?

I am interested in FHSU's MPS in Instructional Design program. I emailed the advisor to ask her some questions, including about how many hours a week I could expect to spend preparing per 3 credit hour class. She replied to plan to spend about 20 hours a week. That sounds like a lot more than what other grad students are saying they spend per 3 credit hours... I really want to do the program, but I'm worried I won't have the time for it.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

 

Obviously this 20 hr. figure is an estimate and will vary, perhaps substantially, from one person to the next. I have found that the required time is 10-15 hours per week. Often it depends on the nature of the course and your personal strengths. Some people can memorize things easily, some can read quickly, etc. I can write easily and so a course that has lots of essay assignments is a snap for me. I have also found that I am more successful doing 1-2 hours of work per day as opposed to trying to do 5-6 hours at a shot.

 

Thank you! 10-15 hours sounds a lot more doable than 20. I just remembered that the advisor said that many of their courses are 8 week courses and that I could do two back to back per semester; maybe she said to expect 20 hours a week because the courses are accelerated?

 

That doesn't sound too far off if the courses are condensed into half the timeframe. For an onground, 16 week, 3 credit hour class, you're in class roughly three hours a week and generally expected to put in about twice that amount of time outside the class studying, doing homework, etc. That would work out to about 9 a week, so almost identical to her estimate. Generally, I make online classes a little more challenging, so maybe 20 a week for an 8 week course would be close.

Am taking 16 week onground classes on the side from my university, one a semester, upper division accounting (very challenging for my slower-moving, middle-aged brain), and study some here and there as I go and put in on average 20 hours on concentrated study per exam. Six exams total plus the final, will probably end up putting in 200+/- hours this semester including time sitting in the classroom--and that's just to hang in there at a "B" level.

 

Yes, but you are a freaking brilliant academic GOD! and we are mere humans

 

LOL :nervous: If only you knew how it was....or maybe you do and are funning me. We're not gods, we're the nebbishes, the ones who never quite became distinguished in our fields who fall back into a career teaching students the rudimentary stuff and then they go on to become true experts in the field, surpassing us because they actually learn how to do things rather than just talking about doing things. They eventually make more money than us, achieve more distinction than us, and then they come back for homecoming or alumni anniversaries looking a little stouter, grayer and driving 7 series BMWs and looking like they're used to running things and they notice us in our dented Volvos and wonder why they ever thought we were all that. Like the slightly goofy uncle with the "pull my finger" gag who you thought was so funny at 14 but seems vaguely pathetic when you're 34.

 

Well actually you've touched on it but maybe I'll just blurt it out in my characteristic direct/blunt/politically incorrect manner. When people ask, "How long will it take?" or "How hard is that course?" I always want to ask them "Well, how smart are you?" Clearly it's a factor in the equation but it's impolite to mention it.