Credit Hour Policy

SMU Credit Hour Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure SMU’s compliance with SACSCOC Standard 10.7, federal Title IV regulations, and institutional expectations for academic rigor and consistency in the assignment of credit hours.

This policy provides guidance to faculty, departments, schools, and curriculum committees in establishing appropriate credit hour expectations for all SMU academic courses and programs.

Academic credit serves as the common currency by which learning is measured across instructional formats, supports the transfer of students between institutions, and forms the basis for federal financial aid eligibility.

Scope

This policy applies to all courses, academic programs, faculty, staff, and students at SMU.

Definitions: Credit Hour (Federal Definition)

A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that reasonably approximates:

  • One hour (50 minutes) of direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks, or
  • An equivalent amount of work for laboratories, studios, practica, internships, field experiences, online learning, and other academic work leading to the award of credit.

Semester Credit Hour at SMU

An hour of instruction is defined as 50 minutes of contact time.

Each semester credit hour includes approximately 15 class meetings x 50 minutes (750 minutes of contact time) plus the final examination period and a minimum of two additional hours of student work outside of class per week.

Syllabus Requirement (Required Statement)

All SMU course syllabi must include the following statement:

“In accordance with federal policy and SACSCOC standards, SMU defines a credit hour as the amount of work represented in the achievement of student learning outcomes that reasonably approximates one hour (50 minutes) of instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work per week for each credit hour. Students should expect to spend at least three hours per week engaged in course-related work for each credit hour. Important Note: Shortened time frames (e.g., mod classes, intersessions classes, etc.) do not reduce total contact hour and expectations of time in student work outside of class. The same total hours must be delivered in a shorter timeframe through longer meetings or more intensive assignments. The following calculations hold true as a reflection of credit, regardless of the format of course delivery and include, but are not exhaustive of, the following: regular-term in-person; online/hybrid; laboratory; studio; internship/practicum /field experience; intersession/compressed term/course modules (A/B).”

For every course credit hour, a typical student should expect to spend at least three hours per week engaged in course-related work.”

Minimum Time Expectations Per Credit Hour

  • 1 credit hour = 45 hours
  • 2 credit hours = 90 hours
  • 3 credit hours = 135 hours
  • 4 credit hours = 180 hours
  • 5 credit hours = 225 hours
  • 6 credit hours = 270 hours

Oversight and Responsibility

Credit hour compliance is ensured through school-level curricular review, catalog oversight by the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, and periodic review as part of program assessment and accreditation processes.

Types of Credit Awarded by SMU

Regular Credit: Credit earned through approved SMU courses.

Transfer Credit: Credit awarded for coursework completed at regionally accredited institutions in accordance with SMU transfer policies.

Nontraditional Credit: Credit awarded through AP, IB, CLEP, military credit, and other approved mechanisms.

Relationship to Accreditation and Financial Aid

This policy demonstrates SMU’s compliance with SACSCOC Standard 10.7 and federal Title IV regulations.