Credit & Contact-Hour Guidelines

About Credits & Contact Hours

The University of Colorado Boulder follows a semester system:

  • Fall and spring semesters consist of a minimum of 15 weeks, plus one week for exams.
  • Special sessions within fall and spring, as well as summer sessions, are typically less than 15 weeks and must adhere to the policy in terms of contact hours and the amount of work required. See the special cases section below.

The faculty and program administrators are responsible for developing, maintaining and evaluating the curriculum within an academic program, although college, school and/or university requirements must still be met. Assignment of credit hours for courses are determined within the program based on content and course learning objectives.

Class schedules are reviewed by the Office of the Registrar prior to the start of each semester to ensure that all classes are scheduled for the minimum number of minutes corresponding to the credits assigned, or otherwise notes when course schedules do not match assigned credit hours. Any discrepancies are brought to the attention of the appropriate department for correction or explanation.

Credit-Hour Guidelines

The following provides general definitions of the class types and instructional methods employed by CU Boulder, as well as guidance on how credit hours translate for each.

The information below serves as general guidance only, and the definitions do not dictate particular amounts of classroom time versus out-of-class student work. However, out-of-class requirements that account for required contact time must be noted in that semester's schedule of classes and in the syllabus distributed to students at the beginning of the term.

Note: Sections with nonstandard or no formal meeting patterns must ensure they are meeting the required number of minimum contact hours (or the equivalent for online and hybrid offerings).

Guidelines by Class Type (Component)

Definition: Participation in client and client-related services that are an integral part of an academic program. Clinical instruction occurs in or outside an institutional setting and involves work with clients who receive professional services from students serving under direct supervision of a faculty member and/or program director.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically two times that of a lecture (2:1 ratio).

Definition: An original investigation required for graduation at the doctoral level that shows mature scholarship and critical judgment, and demonstrates knowledge of research tools and methods.

Expectations: Dissertation credits should correlate with the scope and level of research or written work. The faculty member is required to keep records.

​Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically two times that of a lecture (2:1 ratio).

Definition: Courses of study involving instructional activities conducted by the faculty and designed to supplement and/or extend an individual course or classroom experience.

Expectations: The faculty member or program director responsible for the experience is required to keep records.

​â¶Ä‹Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically two-and-a-half times that of a lecture (2.5:1 ratio).

Definition: Courses of study where a student is formally enrolled during a period of research or independent study instruction in which the faculty member interacts with and directs student projects or other required activities with minimal associated direction.

Expectations: The faculty member is required to keep records.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically two times that of a lecture (2:1 ratio).

Definition: Credit hours for placement at an approved business and/or industry environment that offers degree-seeking students professional-level experience and responsibility. An applied and supervised field-based learning experience where students gain practical experience following a negotiated and/or directed plan of study.

Expectations: The faculty member or program director is required to keep records.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically three times that of a lecture (3:1 ratio).

Definition: Instructional activities under the direct supervision of a faculty member that require student participation, experimentation, observation or practice.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically two times that of a lecture (2:1 ratio).

Definition: A faculty member is responsible for delivery and discussion of learning material and related instructional activities.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: See below for a standard 15-week semester (weekly contact time must be equivalent but prorated for classes scheduled in special sessions).

Credits Awarded*

Minimum Contact Time (1 Week)

Minimum Contact Time (15 Weeks)

Minimum Out-of-Class Work (1 Week)

Minimum Out-of-Class Work (15 Weeks)

Total Instructional Contact Time & Out-of-Class Work

1

50 minutes

750 minutes

100 minutes

1,500 minutes

2,250 minutes

 (37.5 hours)

2

100 minutes

1,500 minutes

200 minutes

3,000 minutes

4,500 minutes

(75 hours)

3

150 minutes

2,250 minutes

300 minutes

4,500 minutes

6,750 minutes

(112.5 hours)

4

200 minutes

3,000 minutes

400 minutes

6,000 minutes

9,000 minutes

(150 hours)

*Examples of hour credits are calculated with respect to contact time and out-of-class work (1:1 ratio).

Definition: Stand-alone labs involving instructional activities under the direct supervision of a faculty member that require student participation, experimentation, observation or practice.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically two times that of a lecture (2:1 ratio).

Definition: Nonstandard course offerings that do not match the description of any other class or instructional type.

Expectations: Should the course meet outside of the standard contact time or involve outside student work, contact time and requirements must be established and documented. The faculty member or program director responsible for the experience is required to keep records.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically equal to that of a lecture (1:1 ratio).

Definition: Practical student work under the supervision of a faculty member or under supervision of a professional in the student's field with regular consultation with a faculty member.

Expectations: The faculty member or program director is required to keep records.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically two times that of a lecture (2:1 ratio).

Definition: A smaller course or section of a larger course, designed for group discussion or student recitation.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Equal to that of a lecture (1:1 ratio).

Definition: Student projects or other required activities with minimal faculty-associated direction where a student is formally enrolled during a period of research.

Expectations: The faculty member is required to keep records.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically two times that of a lecture (2:1 ratio).

Definition: A highly focused course that may include student presentations and discussions of reports based on literature, practice, problems or research (e.g., a capstone course).

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Equal to that of a lecture (1:1 ratio).

Definition: A course with a focus on experiential learning under the direct supervision of a faculty member wherein the student works to develop technical or creative skills respective to the area of study (e.g., music ensembles, art studio).

Expectations: The faculty member is required to keep records.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically two times that of a lecture (2:1 ratio).

Definition: A research or expository critical or creative work required for graduation with a master's degree.

Expectations: Thesis credits should correlate with the scope and level of research or written work. The faculty member is required to keep records.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically two times that of a lecture (2:1 ratio).

Definition: Courses with a focus on experiential learning under the direct supervision of a faculty member wherein the student performs substantive work in a workshop setting to develop technical or creative skills using the facilities and equipment respective to the area of study.

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Typically two times that of a lecture (2:1 ratio).

Guidelines for Distance Education Instructional Modalities

The following guidelines apply to distance education instructional modalities. For definitions of all CU Boulder instruction modes (e.g., hybrid in person and online and/or remote, hybrid remote/online), see the faculty & staff glossary.

Definition: Courses offered in a blended format with one or more on-site face-to-face class sessions and at least one or more online sessions, both containing direct interaction with a faculty member.

Expectations: The faculty member is required to keep records, as courses must meet the total amount of instructional and student work time as defined in the credit-hour guidelines based on class type (lecture, lab, seminar, etc.), even if delivered via distance delivery (synchronously or asynchronously).

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Contact time is assessed using the on-site definition for the on-site portion and the online definition below for the online portion.

Definition: Courses offered entirely online without any face-to-face meetings. These courses have the same learning outcomes and substantive components of a standard course with an alternative delivery method.

Expectations: The faculty member is required to keep records, as courses must meet the total amount of instructional and student work time as defined in the credit-hour guidelines based on class type (lecture, lab, seminar, etc.), even if delivered via distance delivery (synchronously or asynchronously).

Minimum Contact Time Per Credit: Contact time is satisfied by several means, which includes but is not limited to at least two of the following:

  1. Regular instruction or interaction with a faculty member.
  2. Assessing or providing feedback on the student's coursework.
  3. Providing information or responding to questions about the content of a course or competency.
  4. Facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a course or competency.

Definition: Courses offered entirely online without any face-to-face meetings that allow students to work at an individualized pace outside of the standard semester or summer session parameters. These asynchronous courses have the same learning outcomes and substantive components of a standard lecture/seminar course with an alternative delivery method; however, students have up to six months from the point of enrollment to complete the course requirements (for courses offered through Boulder Main Campus and Boulder Continuing Education).

Expectations: The requirements, learning outcomes and performance standards must be equivalent (even if not equal) to those offered through term-based, online offerings of the same course.

Guidelines for Special Cases

Contact hours for classes offered within special sessions must be maintained; compliance will be monitored by the Office of the Registrar.

The general guideline for each Carnegie credit/unit is 750 instructional minutes (12.5 hours). As such, a 3-credit class must still be scheduled to meet for approximately 37.5 hours during the special session.

View the Special Session Guidelines (PDF) 

When there is a sound pedagogical reason, courses may be created and offered in increments of half credits (e.g., 1.5 credits).

  • Fractional-credit courses are typically part of a course sequence and are taught progressively in special sessions within a term. For example, two fractional courses may be offered in back-to-back sessions within a given semester.
  • If not taught as part of a course sequence throughout a term, fractional-credit courses may be required to be offered during non-peak meeting times.

Minimum required contact hours must be prorated accordingly for fractional-credit courses (e.g., 1.5 credits = 1,125 minutes or 18.75 hours).

Note: For academic and administrative purposes, fractional credits are calculated and treated at face value. They are not rounded in credit totals for graduation or degree requirements, tuition calculations, enrollment status and verifications, participation eligibility, etc.

Calculating Awarded Credit Hours

The following calculations apply to 16-week and special session classes in fall and spring semesters, and Sessions A–D in Summer Session. Instructional time does not include periods of orientation, homework, vacation, holiday or grading periods.

Tables are based upon the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) credit-hour requirements, as well as the Veterans' Administration benefits requirements for the G.I. Bill and other government benefit recipients for educational aid programs.

Fall & Spring Semesters

First, multiply the class's instruction minutes per day by the number of meeting days per week. Next, multiply that value by 15 weeks per semester.

Example

SOCY 1000-100 is a full-semester lecture course that meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 to 9:50 a.m.

  • 50 instruction minutes per day * 3 meeting days per week = 150 instruction minutes per week
  • 150 instruction minutes per week * 15 weeks per semester = 2250 total instruction minutes
Summer Sessions

Multiply the class's instruction minutes per day by the number of meeting days in the session (see table below).

Example

SOCY 1000-100 is a Session A lecture course that meets daily from 7:30 to 9:05 a.m.

  • 95 instruction minutes per day * 24 meeting days in Term A = 2280 total instruction minutes
Number of Meeting
Days in Session
Session A
(6/1/2021–7/2/2021)
Session B
(7/6/2021–8/6/2021)
Session C
(6/1/2021–7/23/2021)
Session D
(6/1/2021–8/6/2021)
# of Mondays in session
4
4
6
8
# of Tuesdays in session
5
5
8
10
# of Wednesdays in session
5
5
8
10
# of Thursdays in session
5
5
8
10
# of Fridays in session
5
5
8
10
Total # of meetings (M–F) in session
24
24
38
48

The table above, based upon the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) credit-hour requirement (as well as the Veterans' Administration benefits requirements for the G.I. Bill and other government benefit recipients for educational aid programs), is to be used to set the meeting times for summer classes.

Divide the result of step 1 by the required total class minutes per credit for that component type as issued by the Colorado Department of Higher Education (see table below).

Fall & Spring Example

For SOCY 1000, we'd divide its 2250 total instruction minutes by the 750 required instruction minutes per credit for a lecture course, which equals 3.0.

Summer Example

For SOCY 1000-100, we'd divide its 2280 total instruction minutes by the 750 required instruction minutes per credit for a lecture course, which equals 3.04.

Component Type
Required Instruction Minutes per Credit
Ratio of Weekly Class Minutes to Awarded Credits
Clinical (CLN)
1500
2-1 ratio
Discussion (DSC)
750
1-1 ratio
Dissertation (DIS)
1500
2-1 ratio
Field studies (FLD)
1875
2.5-1 ratio
Independent study (IND)
1500
2-1 ratio
Internship (INT)
2250
3-1 ratio
Laboratory (LAB)
1500
2-1 ratio
Lecture (LEC)
750
1-1 ratio
Main lab section (MLS)
1500
2-1 ratio
Practicum (PRC)
1500
2-1 ratio
Recitation (REC)
750
1-1 ratio
Seminar (SEM)
750
1-1 ratio
Studio (STU)
1500
2-1 ratio
Workshop (WKS)
1500
2-1 ratio

Note: CDHE requirements to generate one credit hour are based on the component type of the course.

Take your result from step 2 and, if it isn't a whole number, round it down to the nearest whole number. You may only award fractional credit hours for special session classes and only under specific circumstances (see "Special Cases" below).

Fall & Spring Example

For SOCY 1000, our result from step 2 was 3.0, which translates to 3 credit hours.

Summer Example

For SOCY 1000-100, our result from step 2 was 3.04, which we'd round down to 3 credit hours.

State & Federal Definitions

Excerpted from the Colorado Commission on Higher Education's (April 2019):

The faculty Base Contact Hour represents a standard measurement of consumption of faculty resources by students. It consists of the number of scheduled minutes of instructional activity involving direct contact of faculty with students in a given term utilizing a particular method of instruction. The standard measurement for a faculty Base Contact Hour except for the instructional activities listed in Table II* is:

Semester System Term: One Base Contact Hour = a minimum of 750 minutes. This translates to a minimum of fifteen 50-minute hours per semester.

Quarter System Term: One Base Contact Hour = a minimum of 500 minutes. This translates to a minimum of ten 50-minute hours per quarter.

*"Table II: Other RI Claimable Hours" includes the following instructional activities: thesis/dissertation, study abroad, internships, student teaching, independent study research and vestibule labs ().

Currently published language, excerpted from the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations ():

Credit hour: Except as provided in 34 CFR 668.8(k) and (l), a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than—

(1) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or

(2) At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Proposed language (May 2019):

Credit hour: Except as provided in 34 CFR 668.8(k) and (l), a credit hour is an amount of student work defined by an institution, as approved by the institution’s accrediting agency or state approval agency, that is consistent with commonly accepted practice in postsecondary education and that—

(1) Reasonably approximates not less than—

(i) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different period of time; or

(ii) At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1)(i) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.; and

(2) Permits an institution, in determining the amount of work associated with a credit hour, to take into account a variety of delivery methods, measurements of student work, academic calendars, disciplines, and degree levels.

Excerpted from the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations ():

Distance education means education that uses one or more of the technologies listed in paragraphs (1) through (4) of this definition to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor and to support regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor, either synchronously or asynchronously. The technologies may include—

(1) The internet;

(2) One-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communications devices;

(3) Audio conferencing; or

(4) Video cassettes, DVDs, and CD-ROMs, if the cassettes, DVDs, or CD-ROMs are used in a course in conjunction with any of the technologies listed in paragraphs (1) through (3) of this definition.

See also: Regular and Substantive Requirements in Distance Education. 

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