PRP 3603 Credit Hour Definition

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Issued by Ira K. Blake, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Effective Date: Summer 2014

NOTES: Approved by BUCC 4/2/14. Presented at Forum 4/23/14.

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania recognizes the “credit hour” as the basic institutional measure of instruction and rigor. A credit hour is defined as an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that approximates not less than:

  • 50 minutes of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work per week for fourteen weeks for one semester hour of credit. For courses operating in a longer or shorter period (summer session, winter session, half semester, etc.), a credit hour will require an equivalent amount of work.
  • at least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities leading to the award of credit hours. Laboratory and studio work will generally require at least 2-3 contact hours per week for one credit hour, with outside study and preparation leading to a total effort equivalent to paragraph (1). Internships and practica will generally require at least 40 hours of total applied experience for one credit hour. Other academic activities will require an amount of work that is consistent with this definition.