Credit Hours

Definition

A semester credit hour is defined by the total number of hours a student must study per week, over duration of one semester to complete the requirements of particular course. This total time includes:

  • Time spent in formal class instruction whether in an online or traditional face-to-face setting.
  • Time spent in laboratory, internship, or other scheduled activity (when applicable).
  • Time devoted to reading, studying, writing, preparation or problem solving.
  • Time spent on directed self-paced learning and asynchronous communication.

A semester credit hour is assigned in the following ratio of component hours per week devoted to the course of study:

  • Formal Class Instruction: One credit hour is defined as the equivalent of one hour of formal class instruction plus an average of two hours of out of class self-study (preparation for formal class instruction, reading, homework, etc) for an undergraduate level course and an average of three hours of out of class self-study for a graduate level course per week over a 15 week semester. Formal class instruction occurs under the supervision of faculty members in either an online or traditional face to face setting. Typically, the credit hours for an online course are calculated in a similar way as they would be for a traditional campus course since the outcomes and the expectation for work is the same with more emphasis placed on the learner’s out of class studying.
  • Experimental Laboratory: One credit hour is usually equivalent to two hours of experimental laboratory. “Experimental laboratory” involves demonstration by instructor and experimentation by learners, with the out-of-class study generally including practice and/or laboratory report writing. “Experimental laboratory” is under the supervision of an instructor.

Each course at University of fujairah is assigned a specific number of credit hours, normally three credit hours on average. In most cases, credits assigned to a particular course are determined according to the number of hours per week that the class meets face to face and/or online. During the course of the semester, a credit hour is equivalent to:

  • 15 hours of classroom contact, plus appropriate outside preparation (30 hours) OR
  • 30 hours of supervised laboratory work, plus appropriate outside preparation OR
  • 45 hours of internship
  •  a combination of the foregoing.

 

Length of Semester

15 weeks of classes, excluding final examination periods.

Credit hour

1 credit hour = 50 minutes of lecture or recitation per week or 2 or more hours of laboratory per week throughout the semester.

Internship

Courses developed for experiential and hands-on learning involving off-site placement. Employers work collaboratively with the appropriate university staff or faculty to develop outcomes, learning experiences, and expectations in order for students to meet credit level requirements. Such credit is awarded at the rate of 45 hours per credit hour.

Accelerated Course

Courses offered in sessions less than a traditional 15 week semester. These courses offer the same semester credit hours as traditional semester-length classes. Within the shortened time frame, accelerated courses must meet the minimum contact hour requirements of the lecture format. In the event that courses do not meet the expected contact hour requirements, credit can be awarded for equivalent instructional activities, which can include but are not limited to online videos, online discussions or chats, quizzes and/or exams, article summaries, case analyses, online group activities, etc.