How many hours of work equal a credit hour?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by Hille, Feb 9, 2003.

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  1. Hille

    Hille Active Member

    Good Morning, Thanks for the answers to my poorly stated question. I am looking for the above information in a source that could be quoted? Thanks Hille
     
  2. ahchem

    ahchem New Member

    Well generally the answer would be about 15 hours of in class seat time per credit hour (NOT Counting homework). In other words, 45 hours of seat time for a typical 3 credit hour class.

    I don't have a specific source for you, but take any college class schedule or many college websites and do the math. Since these are primary sources they are citable, though perhaps not quotable. A search through a couple of college catalogs at your local library or their online equivalent may provide you with a suitable quote.
     
  3. DCross

    DCross New Member

    Again, I don't have a source, but each credit hour is the number of hours per week times the 16 week session. A 3 credit class means 3 hour a week for 16 weeks.

    So, a 3 credit class is 48 hours.

    We're talking semester hours.
     
  4. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    Re: Re: How many hours of work equal a credit hour?

    I researched four university or community college catalogs and found the same result.
    The 15 hour/SU was true for AA, BS, and Master level taught courses (credit for lab work differed between schools). I also recall hearing or reading somewhere that the work expected of a student outside of class (homework, research, reading, etc) was equal to class time.
     
  5. Christopher Green

    Christopher Green New Member

    Hi guys

    I think she's looking for something along the lines of an accreditation rubric...

    like the numbers you are all throwing out, but also "so and so" many hours are expected for each credit for accreditation of a school.

    ? I may be way off.
     
  6. Dennis Ruhl

    Dennis Ruhl member

    The school I went to.

    MWF 13 weeks; 3 classes; 50 minutes = 3 credits - 32.5 hours for 3 credits

    TH 13 weeks; 2 classes; 80 minutes = 3 credts - 34.67 hours for 3 credits.

    Without time between classes it is 39 hours for 3 credits or 13 hours per. This was actual weeks in class with an extra ten days each term for exams, a week for registration, plus 3 weeks at Christmas and a week in February. Managed to turn 13 weeks into almost 8 months.

    Labs could double the time, but then taking labs would be foolish because it would involve taking science courses.

    Then there would be study time, assignments and term-papers. I allowed myself a couple hours a week but often found it excessive.

    On an unrelated topic, does anyone know the best way to rehabilitate a GPA.
     
  7. Christopher Green

    Christopher Green New Member

    Funny question Dennis.

    I thought of this last year. The hardest part, I think, would be finding a faculty member to go along with it.

    Assuming you already have a "bad" GPA, you have probably gone through the program almost completely and only have a few credits left. Under this scenario, you have available reasons on your side to choose to do independent study for credit.

    So go find some adjunct with the school who is young and not set in his/her ways. Then, make a deal. You do independent study or research for a grade on the condition that the professor grade you based on a "layered curriculum." (www.help4teachers.com) The "layered" curriculum is mostly designed for high school but theoretically could be extended to college.

    In this case, you choose the grade you want and have control of the grade you will get because the grades are chosen by the student and the amount of work is simply customized for the student's chosen grade.

    So this faculty member chooses to allow you to do 30 credits with him/her, and you just do whatever he/she tells you must be done to get an A for all 5, 10 or 15 classes!!!

    Simple enough?

    Chris :D :D
     
  8. Dennis Ruhl

    Dennis Ruhl member

    Chris

    Thanks but I graduated with my BA about 30 years ago, grades not good. My habits have improved since then.
     
  9. ahchem

    ahchem New Member

    Re: Chris

    No one is likely to care much about the grades you got thirty years ago.

    What I would do, assuming your goal is to get into a graduate program, is take a couple of graduate level courses in the subject that you want to study. Many State Universities (and others?) will allow you to apply to the university as a "graduate student unclassified". Take two classes and MAKE SURE that you get an "A" in both. That will give you 6 credits, which is generally the maximum transferable credit into most graduate programs.

    Your final step is to apply to your chosen graduate program, with your recent "A's" in hand, along with a letter explaining how the experiences in your intervening years between college study taught you to be such a better student....

    This is not likely to get you into Harvard, but it will probably work out at a lot of Colleges.

    GPA all fixed.
     
  10. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    Re: Chris

    Blame your low grades on grade inflation. When I took my engineering classes 30+ years ago (in the UK) results were based solely on exams (no inclusion of attendance, class participation, homework, etc). Possible exam grades were distinction, credit, pass, fail. Most of my results were "pass" with several "credits". I never heard of anyone getting a distinction. Based on my participation in classes in last dozen years I believe my results today would all have merited at least a "B" grade.
    One answer to your low GPA BS degre is to earn a masters degree with a high GPA.
     
  11. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    Maybe this is the type of reference you are looking for:
    http://www.wascweb.org/senior/handbook.pdf
    See page 121, "Credit, Unit of".
    States that 45 hours = 1 semester unit.
    Other RA bodies probably have similar documents.
     
  12. ahchem

    ahchem New Member

    Re: Re: How many hours of work equal a credit hour?

    Excellent source. However the distinction needs to be made that by 45 hours they mean class and study time. In their example they give one hour of lecture plus two hours study time per week in a 15 week semester equals one unit.
     
  13. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    Re: Re: Re: How many hours of work equal a credit hour?

    That is correct. This reference might be of use to anyone following the portfolio route to credit.
     

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