Credit Hours and Enrollment Status
Credit is described in semester hours, the number of credits taken per semester. The number of credits is determined by the demands of the course, course work and by the number of contact hours, the hours actually spent in the classroom or laboratory.
Enrollment status is determined by registered total semester credits:
Full-time
12 or more credits per semester
3/4-time
9-11 credits per semester
Half-time
6-8 credits per semester
Part-time
1-5 credits per semester
A credit hour represents one hour of lecture, or two hours of laboratory or three hours of clinical instruction per week for the semester. A three-credit-hour lecture course, for example, meets 48 hours during the semester (3 hours/week x 16 weeks). A class load of more than 17 credit hours requires approval of the Chief Academic Officer or a designee.
A first-year student, by definition, is one who has completed 30 or fewer semester credit hours. A second-year student is one who has completed 31 or more semester credit hours.