Credit Hour Policy Supplement

Practices to Determine Amount and Level of Credit 

Credit Hour National and State Standards

The purpose of Xavier University’s credit-hour policy is to ensure compliance with national and state credit-hour standards.

The definition of a credit hour as published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 34, Part 600.2 is as follows:

“Credit Hour: Except as provided in 34 CFR 668.8(k) and (l), a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than

(1) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or

(2) At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.”

Similarly, according to the Ohio Department of Higher Education, “One semester credit hour will be awarded for a minimum of 750 minutes of formalized instruction that typically requires students to work at out-of-class assignments an average of twice the amount of time as the amount of formalized instruction (1,500 minutes). It is acknowledged that formalized instruction may take place in a variety of modes.  While awarding semester credit hours typically occurs for instruction delivered in accordance with an institution's standard semester calendar, it may also occur for instruction that may not follow the typical pattern of an institution's standard semester calendar as long as the criteria for awarding such credit is met.”

 

Credit Hour Oversight

The faculty is responsible for the curriculum. Credit values for courses are determined at the department level based on faculty expertise and course objectives. Upon departmental approval the course is entered into Nexus as our online curriculum system and undergoes additional evaluation as it moves through the course approval process. All curriculum and review/approval bodies at Xavier University are responsible for following the policy on credit hours in their review and approval of all courses; they are also responsible for certifying that the expected student learning outcomes for the course meet the credit-hour standard wherever and however courses are taught.  

Department Chairs, Program Directors, and appropriate College Curriculum Committees are responsible for reviewing the syllabi of any new courses to make sure that minimum university standards for credit hours are being met.  When planning new courses, faculty should ensure that a total of 37.5 hours/2,250 minutes of teaching and learning per semester is included for every credit hour.  Each lecture-based credit hour will usually consist of 50 minutes of formalized faculty-directed or guided interaction plus a minimum of 100 minutes of independent student learning per week in a standard 15-week term, which includes one week for exams. Research papers, projects, and take-home exams that are due during the exam week may count as the final week of instruction.  Other combinations of time are possible, where appropriate (such as a higher proportion of instructional/interactional time for a laboratory or a lower proportion of instructional/interactional time for independent research).   All courses no matter their term length, instructional modality, or delivery method must meet these hour minimums. 

Faculty-directed, formalized, or guided interaction is the amount of time a student is expected to be involved in structured learning under the direction or facilitation of the instructor.  Examples include, but are not limited to, in person or online lectures, seminars, discussions, art and design studios, supervised group work, and examinations. Independent learning is the amount of time students spend outside of scheduled or direct instruction to fulfill course objectives. Examples include, but are not limited to, reading assignments, working out problems, preparing for exams, completing online and face-to-face group work, writing papers, and working on a project. 

Approved courses are sent to the Office of the Registrar for inclusion in the Schedule of Classes and the University Catalog, as appropriate based on their status as experimental or permanent. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for reviewing the Schedule of Classes prior to the start of each semester to ensure that all face-to-face classes are scheduled for the minimum number of minutes. Any discrepancies are brought to the attention of the appropriate department or college for correction or verification that credit-hour minimums are being met.

Guidelines for credit-hour planning

Standard Lecture.  A one credit-hour lecture course represents 750 minutes of direct instruction supplemented by a minimum of 1500 minutes of student independent study or preparation.  A standard three-credit hour lecture course includes at least 2,250 minutes of faculty-directed instruction and 4,500 minutes of student independent study/preparation over the term of instruction. 

Example: A 3-credit hour lecture course that meets

• Fifteen times in a term: would need to meet for 150 minutes per meeting (2,250/15 = 150)
• Eight times in a term: would need to meet 282 minutes per meeting (2,250/8 = 282), or 4 hours and 42 minutes each meeting, and would need to add a session if any session falls on an academic holiday.
• In addition to direct instruction, the course would need to require 4,500 minutes of independent study and preparation.  This would equate to 300 minutes per week for a full 15 week term and 900 minutes per week for an eight week term.

Studio Lecture courses. In studio courses, such as are used in the fields of art and theatre, each credit hour is equivalent to 1,500 minutes of direct faculty instruction and a minimum of 750 minutes of studio class preparation. 

Lab courses. The ratio of directed vs independent work may vary in lab courses.  Often for non-major labs, a minimum of two-thirds of the course work is scheduled, directed laboratory time. Each credit hour of a typical lab course consists of a minimum of 1,500 minutes of scheduled laboratory activity supported by 750 minutes of homework.  No matter the ratio, each credit hour for a laboratory course will consist of a minimum of 2,250 minutes of course work including both direct instruction and student independent study. 

Music ensembles and applied lesson labs. Each credit hour of ensemble work in the field of music represents 2,250 minutes of faculty instruction. Applied lessons for music majors may include one hour per day per credit hour in practice as part of the independent learning minutes of the course. 

Fully online.  For courses in which 100% of the instruction is delivered in an online mode, each credit hour consists of 2,250 minutes of course work including both direct instruction and student independent study. Lecture courses that are fully online typically include 750 minutes of faculty directed instruction and 1,500 minutes of supporting independent work. Faculty-directed instruction may include activities such as multimedia interaction, discussions, online meetings, and/or assessment activities as documented in the course syllabus.   

Mostly and partially online courses. These modalities use the same requirements as fully online courses with the exception that each credit hour may include in-person scheduled meeting times.  

Tutorials/Independent Study. These are courses of study in which a faculty member regularly interacts and directs student outcomes with periodic contact. Minimum credit hours are usually determined based on the traditional lecture section equivalent but may vary.  Credit hour minimums must still be maintained, but the ratio of directed work versus independent work varies. 

Internship/Practica/Field Experience. Faculty regularly interacts with and directs student outcomes with periodic contact for this modality.  Course work likely contains directed activity/learning outside of a lecture setting. Credit hour requirements follow those more similar to laboratory and studio ratios.  Although these courses must meet the minimum credit hour requirements, the range of coursework hours can vary greatly by subject area and type of experience and may be much higher than the university minimums.  No matter the ratio, each credit hour for this type of course will consist of a minimum of 2,250 minutes of course work, including both direct instruction and student independent study. 

Accelerated Courses.  These may contain any modality listed above but are offered in an accelerated format that is shorter than a standard semester.   The content and substantive student learning outcomes are the same as those in the standard semester. These courses must meet coursework minimums of both faculty-directed instruction and independent student work per credit hour within the accelerated timeframe.

Example: A 3-credit hour lecture course that meets

• Eight times in a term: would need to meet 282 minutes per meeting (2,250/8 = 282), or 4 hours and 42 minutes each meeting, and would need to add a session if any session falls on an academic holiday.
• In addition to direct instruction, the course would need to require 4,500 minutes of independent study and preparation.  This would equate to 900 minutes per week for an eight week term.

Courses involving travel. Transportation time does not count towards student work effort unless time is simultaneously used for a designated learning activity. 

Table for Calculating Minimums per Credit Hour in Standard 15-Week Full-Term 
(Direct Instruction & Independent Learning)  

Course Format	Credit Hour	Direct Instruction	Independent Learning	Total Minutes/week	Total hours	Total semester hours	Total minutes/per term
Lecture/Seminar	1	50 minutes	100 minutes	150 minutes	2.5 hours	37.5 hours	2250
	2	100 minutes	200 minutes	300 minutes	5 hours	75 hours	4500
	3	150 minutes	300 minutes	450 minutes	7.5 hours	112.5 hours	6750
	4	200 minutes	400 minutes	600 minutes	10 hours	150 hours	9000
Laboratory	1	Variable	Limited/variable	Variable	2.5 hours	37.5 hours	2250
	2	Variable	Limited/variable	Variable	5 hours	75 hours	4500
Music: String Quartet	1	75 minutes	75 minutes	150 minutes	2.5 hours	37.5 hours	2250
Chamber Winds	1	100 minutes	50 minutes	150 minutes	2.5 hours	37.5 hours	2250
Choirs, jazz orchestra, percussion ensemble, chamber orchestra, symphonic wind ensemble	1	150 minutes	Limited/variable	150 minutes	2.5 hours	37.5 hours	2250
Dance	1	Variable	Variable	150 minutes	2.5 hours	37.5 hours	2250
Studio	1	100 minutes	50 minutes	150 minutes	2.5 hours	37.5 hours	2250
	2	200 minutes	100 minutes	300 minutes	5 hours	75 hours	4500
	3	300 minutes	150 minutes	450 minutes	7.5 hours	112.5 hours	6750
Internship/Practica/Field Experience	1	Variable	150 minutes	150 minutes	2.5 hours	37.5 hours	2250
	2	Variable	300 minutes	300 minutes	5 hours	75 hours	4500
	3	Variable	450 minutes	450 minutes	7.5 hours	112.5 hours	6750
	4	Variable	600 minutes	600 minutes	10 hours	150 hours	9000
Social Work Field Experience (done in both semesters of senior year)	3	Variable	Variable	840 minutes	14 hours	210 hours	12600

For Nursing practicum courses:

The conversion of practicum credits varies by Nursing program.

BSN/ABSN/MSN/DNP: for each credit, the student will have 3 x (#credits) x 60 min per week in either the clinical or lab setting.

 

MIDAS (Master of Science in Nursing: Direct Entry as Second Degree for those who did not study Nursing as an undergraduate): for each credit, the student will have 4 x (#credits) x 60 min per week in either the clinical or lab setting.

 

FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner): for each credit, the student will have 8 x (#credits) x 60 min per week in either the clinical or lab setting.

 

Course Format	Credit Hour	Direct Instruction	Independent Learning	Total Minutes/week	Total Hours/week	Total Semester Contact Hours
BSN/ABSN/MSN Practicum courses (can be a mix of Clinical and laboratory time)	1	180 minutes	variable	variable	3 hours	45 hours
	2	360 minutes	variable	variable	6 hours	90 hours
	3	540 minutes	variable	variable	9 hours	135 hours
	4	720 minutes	variable	variable	12 hours	180 hours
MIDAS Practicum courses (can be a mix of  Clinical and laboratory time)	1	240 minutes	variable	variable	4 hours	60 hours
	2	480 minutes	variable	variable	8 hours	120 hours
	3	720 minutes	variable	variable	12 hours	180 hours
	4	960 minutes	variable	variable	16 hours	240 hours
	6	1440 minutes	variable	variable	24 hours	360 hours
FNP Practicum courses	1	480 minutes	variable	variable	8 hours	120 hours
	2	960 minutes	variable	variable	16 hours	240 hours
DNP Practicum courses (Doctor of Nursing Practice)	1	180 minutes	variable	variable	3 hours	45 hours
	3	540 minutes	variable	variable	9 hours	135 hours