Credit Hour Policy
Federal Requirement:Definition of Credit Hour
Alabama State Universityhas credithours’definitions,policiesand procedures that conform to commonlyacceptedpracticesin highereducation. The institution’s credithour system complieswith requirementsofthe U.S. Departmentof Education, Southern Association on Collegesand SchoolsCommission on Colleges (SACSCOC),and the Alabama
Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). The institutional credithour system is applicable to all modes of instructional deliver,including distance education
CreditHour Definition
A credithouran amountofwork represented in intended learning outcomesand verified byevidence of studentachievement. The Alabama StateUniversitydefinition ofone credit
hoursarebased on the standard Carnegie unitof50minutesof classroomordirectfaculty instruction delivered overone (1) clockhourof contact,defined ason clock/contact hour, and isbased on a 16-weekacademic semester. However,the clock/contacthour representing one semester credithourmaybe prorated based on the length ofthe academicterminweeks (e.g., summerterms,mini terms, other) (see Intuitional CreditHour
Policy section below).
The credithoursisan institutionallyestablished equivalencythatapproximatesnotless than: 1
1. Aunitofmeasure representing the time and activity required forone hourof credit,and
2. Atleastan equivalentamountofwork requiredand outlined in item 1 above forother academicactivitiesasestablished bythe institution including laboratorywork,internships, pratica, studiowork,and otheracademicworkleading to the award ofcredithours.
Alabama State Universityoperateson an academic calendaryeardivided into two equal 16- week semesters. Summertermsare operated on a ½ semester calendar (8weeks),and mini termsare operated on ¼ semester calendar (4weeksduring summer terms; 8 weeks during fall and spring semesters). Credithoursare formulated based on the semesterterm system; calculated of clock/contacthoursfor summerandmini termsisthus a pro rata calculation ofthe 16-week semestertermtimeframe.
Institutional Credit Hour Policy
Each continuing and new course developed forinstructionmust complywith the following credithour policy:
1. Alabama State Universityuses semester credit hoursas themeasure to representevidence of satisfactory completion ofstudentworkin a course.
2. Alabama State Universityuses the Carnegie unitto representthe credithouras a unitof directfacultyinstruction [50minutesofdirect classroomdelivered over 1 clock hour of contact,orone clock/contacthour]. The Carnegie unitthus represents 1 contract/clock hour.
3. Alabama State Universityuses the 16-week semesterasthe basisforformulating semester credithoursforanytermofinstruction. Credit hourformulation foralternative instructional termformats (summer,mini terms, other)is a pro rata calculation ofthe 16-week semester (e.g.,8-week summer terms; 4-or8-weekmini terms, other).
4. Aminimumof800 scheduledminutesofdirectinstruction is the basis foreach credithour awarded during anyacademic term.Including summerandmini-terms (50minutesof classroomordirectfacultyinstruction x16weeksunlessprorated overalternative time frame).
5. The standard expectation and common practice is that studentswill spend aminimumof 2 hoursofpreparation outside ofthe classroomin reading, study, research etc.foreach Carnegie-based credithour.
6. Each course ismandated to have a syllabusdocumenting the amountofin-classand out- of-classwork required to earn the credithoursofapproved forthe course.
Institutional Procedures for Determining CreditHour
Using the U.S.Departmentof Education’sdefinition ofthe credithouras afoundation, Alabama State University calculates the actual amountofacademicwork thatgoesinto a single semester credithourbased on the type of course asfollows:
● Lecturesand Seminars: One lecture (taught)or seminar (discussion) credithour represent 1 clock/contacthourand 2 hours of studentpreparation time over the course of a16-week semester unlessprorated overalternative termlengths (4-week summer mini terms; 8-week semestermini terms).
● LaboratoryCourses: One laboratory credithour represents 1 clock/contacthourper weekoflecture ordiscussion time,1-3 clock/contacthoursperweekof scheduled supervised orindependentlaboratorywork,and 2 hoursofstudentpreparation time per week. Thus,foreach laboratory credithour,this calculation representsatleast16 clock/contacthoursoflecture ordiscussion time,16 –48 clock/contacthoursof laboratorytime,and 32 hoursofstudentpreparation peracademictermunlessprorated overalternative termlengths. Laboratory coursesare constructed on this credithour formula to award up to 4 semester credithours. There is a small population of exceptions [e.g., STEMfoundationslaboratorycourses,Collage ofHealth Sciences (COHS)laboratories]forwhich 1 credithour represents32 clock/contacthoursof laboratorytimeand 32 hoursofstudentpreparation perweek.
● Practica: One practice credithour (supervised clinical rounds,internships,visual or performing art studio,supervised student teaching,fieldwork,etc.)usually represents3-
4 clock/contacthoursof supervised and/orindependentpractice perweek. Thusone practice credithour representsbetween 48 and64 clock/contacthoursofworkper16-
week semesterunlessprorated overalternative termlength. Most studio orpractice coursesare assigned 3 semester credithours,thus representing blocksof 3 practice credithours.
● Directed Independent Study: One directed independent study 9 thesisordissertation research) credithoursis calculated similarlyto practice credithours.
● Alternate Calculation of creditHours: Fordegree programsaccredited byvarious agencies,the corefacultyofthe variousprogramsdetermine the amountofacademic creditto be awarded forfieldwork, clinical,internship,and other experiential coursesin accordwith agency requirementsand based on commonlyacted practicesin higher education. In some health professionsprograms,theminimumamount of clinical time, rather than credits,isdetermined bythe specialized accrediting agency. All pre-clinical courseworkfollows thepolicyaspreviouslydescribed. In studio courses representing the arts,design,and theatre,one credithourisequivalentto 1.5 hoursofguided instruction and three hoursfor studio classpreparation eachweekfor15weeksas defined bythe National Association of Schoolsof Artand National Association of SchoolsofMusic.
● The institutional credithour systemisapplicableto allmodesofinstructional delivery, including online and distance education.
1Guidance to Institutionsand Accrediting AgenciesRegarding a CreditHouras Defined in the Final Regulations Published onOctober29,2010,U.S. Departmentof Education
1Guidance to Institutionsand Accrediting Regarding a CreditHouras Defined in the Final Regulations Published onOctober29,2010,U.S. Departmentof Education. Agencies