Academic Credit Definition
A credit is a unit of measure used to determine progress toward a degree. City University of Seattle awards quarter credits. Other universities and institutions of education may use different individually defined units of measure in the awarding of credit. Still others use neither the quarter nor semester system but have their own individual definitions for one unit measure of credit. A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is the equivalent of one hour of classroom, online, or direct faculty instruction and approximately two hours of out-of-class student work each week for 10 weeks for one quarter credit hour.
For courses built around internship, practica, research projects, thesis, experiential and performance-based learning, one quarter credit is awarded for a minimum of thirty hours of engagement in learning activities that are directly related to producing evidence of achievement of defined learning outcomes. Learning activities include but are not limited to direct instruction, mentoring, work on completing course assignments, practice hours required by internship or student teaching, production and/or display of artifacts demonstrating student learning, etc.
To calculate/convert, the following apply.
Equivalency of One Unit of Measure
- One “semester credit” multiplied by one and one-half equals “quarter credit”.
- One “quarter credit” divided by one and one-half equals “semester credit”.
Formula for Conversion of Total Units of Measure
- Total “semester hours” multiplied by one and one-half equals total “quarter credit hours.” (for example, six semester hour credits equals nine quarter credits.)
(Policy #3500.06)