Quarter vs. Semester Credits

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by mattbrent, Jun 21, 2008.

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  1. mattbrent

    mattbrent Well-Known Member

    Hi all!

    My undergraduate school used semester credits. My MS from Walden was in semester credits, but some of their programs used quarter credits. Some of the programs I'm looking into use quarter credits, but I honestly don't quite understand them. How do they relate to semester credits? Could someone please explain this?

    Thanks,
    Matt
     
  2. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    In terms of buttocks on wood education (i.e., the "regular" residential schools), a semester hour represents one hour a week class time for fifteen weeks, while a quarter hour represents one hour a week class time for ten weeks. Hence, a semester is one and a half times as long as a quarter and, conversely, a quarter is only two-thirds as long as a semester. Accordingly, a degree expressed in terms of quarter hours takes one and a half times as many hours a a degree expressed in terms of semester hours and, conversely, a degree expressed in terms of semester hours takes only two-thirds as many hours as a degree expressed in terms of quarter hours. An associate's degree is 60 semester hours or 90 semester hours, which takes 900 hours of class time either way. A bachelor's degree is 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours, which takes 1800 hours of class time either way. A master's degree is 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours, which takes 450 hours of class time either way. The doctoral degree is 60 semester hours, 30 of classes and 30 of dissertation, or 90 quarter hours, 45 of classes and 45 of dissertation, which takes 450 hours of class time either way plus whatever you put into your dissertation.
     
  3. mattbrent

    mattbrent Well-Known Member

    Thanks Ted!

    That actually makes sense. So if a full time grad student enrolls in 9 semester credits, what would be full time for a grad student in quarter credits? Would it be 13 credits? 14 credits? Or would it be totally different because the time of the term is different?

    -Matt
     
  4. pugbelly

    pugbelly New Member

    For the purpose of easy calculation:

    1 semester hour is equal to 1.5 quarter credits. So a 3 semester hour class is equal to a 4.5 quarter hour class. A 120 semester hour BA degree is equal to a 180 quarter credit BA degree.

    Pug
     
  5. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    A full-time grad student on the quarter system would still be 9 hours. The difference would be that the student on the quarter system has three ten-week quarters (Fall, Winter, and Spring) in the regular academic year while the student on the semester system has two fifteen-week semesters (Fall and Spring) in the regular academic year. Either way, they're both in school for thirty weeks from September through May, with an optional Summer term.
     
  6. KariS

    KariS New Member

    I have always liked the simple method :p :

    Normal school year: Semesters = 2, Quarters = 3

    thus: quarter/semester = 3/2 = 1.5 or semester/quarter = 2/3

    (Note in semester system summer is an abbreviated session, in quarters it is full session)
     
  7. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Gosh! I hope I didn't make things too difficult! :eek:
     
  8. cklapka

    cklapka Member

    Yes but, if a student takes a class at school A (which is quarter based), say in discrete mathematics, does he or she then meet that requirement for school B (which is semester based) even though there were fewer hours spent on the class?

    Stipulating that this is a prerequisite for a graduate program and the student had finished the degree at school A.
     
  9. KariS

    KariS New Member

    Is the requirement at B a course in "discrete mathenatics" or x credits in "discrete mathematics. If the first (a course) probably yes. If the second (x creidts) probably not.


     
  10. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    That would depend. If the discrete mathematics course taken at school A was 4.5 quarter credits or 5 quarter credits and school B requires 3 semester credits, then you have no problem. If, on the other hand, school B requires 3 semester hours and you have only 3 quarter hours from school A, you'd probably have to take up that question with your new department at schooL B.
     
  11. pugbelly

    pugbelly New Member


    Correct. Most schools I ave seen on the quarter credit system offer courses that are worth 4.5 quarter credits. This obviously translates to 3 semester credits, so transfer bewteen systems would not be a problem. You just have to look at the value of the courses within eac system.

    Pug
     

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