Credit Hour Assignment

Southwestern  follows the federal definition of a credit hour as used by the Department of Education and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Southwestern's accrediting body.

One credit hour is equal to 50 hours of total student work per semester.

For a standard 16-week semester in a traditional classroom setting, that 50 hours breaks down to roughly 13 hours of direct instruction (class time) and 37 hours of work outside of class which may include activities such as reading, homework, studying, and other outside of class projects.

In terms of time spent each week, one credit hour equals 50 minutes of in class time and just over 2 hours of  work outside of class each week. A three credit hour course equals 150 minutes of in class time and almost 7 hours of work outside of class each week. Again, those figures are for a standard 16-week semester in a traditional classroom setting.

Online Courses - No seat time is required, but students are required to complete the same 50 hours per credit hour per semester as traditional courses. This is completed through activities such as recorded lectures, discussion boards, readings, assignments, quizzes or exams, projects and other course related activities.

Accelerated and Graduate Courses (8-week) must meet the same requirement of 150 hours as a traditional one hour per week or three hours per week course.

Course Audits

Southwestern uses a process of course audits to verify the length of an academic period and the university's compliance with credit hour requirements as mandated by the Department of Education and HLC.

Course Audit Form (course example)