Graduate students may, on occasion, take non-graduate level courses. To maintain the rigor required of graduate education and to comply with accreditation standards, graduate students are limited to the percentage of non-graduate level courses that count toward degree requirements.
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 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.
Alternatively, a credit hour is defined as the learning that takes place in at least 45 hours of learning activities, which include time in lectures or class meetings, in-person or online, laboratories, examinations, presentations, tutorials, preparation, reading, studying, hands-on experiences, and other learning activities; or a demonstration by the student of learning equivalent to that established as the expected product of such a period of study.
In all cases, learning in for-credit courses is guided by a qualified instructor and includes regular and substantive student-instructor interaction.
Graduate students
The Graduate School requires at least 50% of credits applied toward a graduate degree be earned in courses designed and designated specifically for graduate-level work. Credits earned as a University Special student do not count toward the 50% graduate coursework minimum and degree requirements unless numbered 700 or above or is taken to meet the requirements of a Capstone Certificate and has the "G50%" attribute.
Graduate level coursework is identified with an attribute of “G50%” in the University’s Course Guide and Class Search. More information regarding the course attribute can be found on the Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research (DAPIR) website. For students taking coursework through the fall 2015 term, the official university record which identifies programs documented “graduate level” coursework is each program’s Minimum Degree Requirements and Satisfactory Progress chart in the 2014-2016 Graduate School catalog.
Some programs may require more rigorous credit minimums than the Graduate School’s minimum as indicated in the Graduate Guide.
04-26-2023, 10-23-2023
