2.20 Credit Hours
I. Purpose
To properly identify credit hour assignments in all credit courses.
II. Scope
This policy applies to all Bucks County Community College credit courses in all disciplines, formats, and modalities of instruction.
III. General
All courses taken for credit at Bucks County Community College that are applied to completion of degree and certificate requirements must conform to applicable federal and state regulations concerning the assignment of credit hours.
Bucks County Community College adheres to the U.S. Department of Education (34 CFR Section 600.2) definition of credit hour as … 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 hours 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.
Pennsylvania Department of Education regulations state Degree requirements stated (in this section) may be stated in terms of semester credit hours or quarter credit hours, as determined by the institution and conforming to generally accepted academic practices (PA Code §32.21.b), and require that each semester and session shall include no fewer than 750 minutes per credit of instruction. Further, according to PA regulations, a semester credit hour represents a unit of curricular material that normally can be taught in a minimum of 14 hours of classroom instruction, plus appropriate outside preparation or the equivalent as determined by the faculty (PA Code §31.21.b).
All semester/credits awarded by Bucks County Community College will conform to the definitions provided above.
Registration, orientation and final examination periods shall be in addition to the periods described above.
The semester credit hour is the basic unit of academic credit. One semester credit is equivalent to one 50-minute hour of faculty instruction time per week for 15 weeks, and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work per credit hour per week. Fall and spring semesters run for 15 weeks, which does not include registration, orientation, or final examination periods. Summer, winter session, and modular (accelerated) sessions are typically less than 15 weeks but adhere to the policy in terms of meeting time and the amount of work required.
Typical instructional times for a standard (15 week) academic semester are three 50-minute sessions, or two 75-minute sessions, or one 150-minute session. Typical instructional times for summer, winter session, and modular classes are increased, based on number of available weeks, to provide the same number of instructional minutes (i.e. 750 minutes per credit).
Lecture Courses
| Credits awarded | Minimum instructional time per week | Minimum instructional time over 15 weeks | Minimum out-of-class student work time over 15 weeks | Total instructional time and out-of-class student work time over 15 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 contact minutes | 750 contact minutes | 1500 minutes | 2250 minutes |
| 2 | 100 contact minutes | 1500 contact minutes | 3000 minutes | 4500 minutes |
| 3 | 150 contact minutes | 2250 contact minutes | 4500 minutes | 6750 minutes |
| 4 | 200 contact minutes | 3000 contact minutes | 6000 minutes | 9000 minutes |
| 5 | 250 contact minutes | 3750 contact minutes | 7500 minutes | 11,250 minutes |
Laboratory, Studio and Clinical Classes
These are courses with a focus on experiential learning under the direct supervision of a College faculty member wherein the student performs substantive work in a laboratory, studio, or clinical setting. The courses require at least an equivalent amount of work as required in the U.S. Department of Education definition of credit hour (above). Laboratory, clinical and studio course credit hours are dictated by requirements of accrediting agencies, course-to-course equivalencies with transfer institutions, and compliance with the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Oversight Committee (TAOC).
Nursing clinical courses follow a formula of 3 contact hours per credit.
Studio art courses follow the formula required by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). All studio art courses meet a minimum of 4.5 hours per week in a 15-week semester.
STEM laboratory class ratios range from 1.3: 1 to 2:1, depending on the course.
Credits are assigned per semester as follows:
| Class Format | Credits/Time |
|---|---|
| Lecture/Seminar | 1 hour class instruction and 2 hours out-of-class student work time per credit per week |
| ELearning | 1 hour contact instruction and 2 hours out-of-class student work time per credit per week |
| Nursing clinical | 3 contact hours per credit per week |
| Studio art | 4.5 contact hours per week |
| STEM lab courses | 3-4 contact hours and 2-3 lab hours per week |
IV. Procedures
None
V. Approval
President, February 2017
VI. Responsibility
Provost