As you begin your college or university studies, you'll be exposed to new systems and processes you likely haven't experienced before. One important term you may come across is a "credit hour."
But what is a credit hour?
Credit hours are important to track because they directly relate to completing your program and graduating.
Simply put, a credit hour is a unit of measurement that represents the amount of instruction time delivered and is required to meet learning outcomes in a college course. It's a standardized way of representing how much time students spend in a classroom setting learning and receiving instruction.
Depending on the school, it can be called different names, including credit or unit.
Our guide will help you learn the value of a credit hour and the number of credit hours you need to graduate from your program.
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How Do Credit Hours Work?
While building your college course schedule, you may read something that says a class, like Biology 101, is four credit hours. This means that your Biology 101 class will generally meet for approximately four hours a week. The number of credit hours typically equals the number of hours a class meets each week.
However, keep in mind that you will also be expected to spend more hours outside of class studying or doing homework. It's often recommended that students budget about 2-3 hours of study or homework time for every hour spent in class.
So for a three-credit-hour course, that's about 6-9 additional study/homework hours per week.
You can earn credit hours regardless of whether you are a full-time or part-time student. The number of credit hours you should take per year depends on what program you are in and when you plan on graduating.
Some students take fewer credit hours in a quarter or semester if they are also planning on working a job or enrolling in several challenging, time-consuming classes.
You should track how many credit hours you take in a semester or quarter to ensure you are on track to complete your degree in the time that works best for you.
Your school's registrar's office will track your completed credit hours in your transcript. Another place you can find out how many credit hours a class is is in the class syllabus.
You must pass a class in order to earn credit hours for it. However, once you pass, the grade you receive (whether it's an A or a C) doesn't change the number of credit hours you earn.
Semester Credit Hours vs. Quarter Credit Hours
There are two main systems for structuring an academic year: the semester system and the quarter system.
A semester system is typically two 15-week terms with courses lasting those 15 weeks, and a quarter system is three or four 10-week terms with classes lasting 10 weeks.
You earn similar credit hours in both systems and can transfer credits between them. Both systems have their pros and cons.
How Many Credit Hours Do You Need to Graduate?
How many credit requirements you need to graduate depends on your degree level. You'll typically need fewer credit hours for shorter programs and more credit hours for more advanced degrees.
Be sure to check with your particular program or academic advisor to learn exactly how many credit hours you need. Remember, you can usually transfer credits into your program that can count toward the number of credit hours required.
| Degree Level | Credit Hours Typically Required | Number of College Classes Typically Required |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-90 credit hours | 20-30 classes |
| Bachelor's Degree | 120 credit hours | 40 classes |
| Master's Degree | 30-60 credit hours | 10-20 classes |
| Doctoral Degree | 60-120 credit hours | 20-40 classes |
Frequently Asked Questions About College Credit Hours
One credit hour usually represents one hour of classroom time. Classroom time can be online or in-person, and it can be instruction, seminar, or laboratory time. Most college classes are 3-4 credits.
