Credits and Academic Load

Credits

The credit for each course is indicated after the title in the Course Description section. One credit is equivalent to one collegiate semester hour credit. Each credit given for a course is based on approximately three hours of study in that course weekly by each student. This may consist of lectures, out-of-class study, laboratory and shop study, or combinations thereof as follows:

1. one hour of lecture plus an average of two hours of out-of-class study;
2. two hours of laboratory or shop study plus an average of one hour of out-of-class study;
3. three hours of laboratory or shop study with or without out-of-class assignments;
4. developmental courses are usually one to five credit courses;
5. general usage courses (On-Site Training, Seminar and Project, Supervised Study, etc.) are one to five credits with variable hours.

Academic Load

The typical academic course load for a full-time student is 15-17 credits. The minimum full-time load is 12 credits and the maximum full-time load is 18 credits. A student who wishes to carry an academic load of more than 18 credits must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and must have approval of an advisor and the Dean of Academic Support Services. For courses taken during any special sessions, such as during the abbreviated summer sessions, a proportional limit applies. Please consult the summer Schedule of Classes for the Summer Session Academic Load policy.

Any student enrolled for fewer than 12 credits is classified as a part-time student.

The minimum course load required to receive veterans benefits is determined by the current regulations of the Veterans Administration. The rate of progress is generally expected to equal that required to graduate within the established training time.

Developmental Course Credits

Courses numbered 01-09 will not count toward meeting graduation requirements and will not transfer to four-year institutions. Each developmental course carries one to five credits for the purpose of tuition payment.