Students who successfully complete an undergraduate academic course at Gettysburg College earn one course unit, the equivalent of four credit hours. In computing academic credit, the following standards (in accordance with Federal and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania standards) are employed:
- One hour of class time typically requires two hours of student preparation or homework outside class.
- Each course should claim an average of 12 hours of student time per week (four hours of class dedicated work and eight hours of preparation or homework) over the course of the semester. The length of each semester is equivalent to 15 weeks of instructional time. Note: See below for equivalent information on half-unit and quarter-unit courses.
- “Class time” is normally scheduled in the official listing of courses but may also include structured learning activities as described in the Academic Credit Hour Policy and Declaration section of the APPC course approval form.
- “Preparation and homework” are defined as unsupervised activities, including reading, studying, problem-solving, and short assignments, which are assessed.
- In all calculations, “1 hour” = 50 minutes (an “academic hour”), per Federal Standards.
For students participating in graduate-level coursework at Gettysburg College, one course unit is the equivalent of three credit hours as defined by Federal and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania standards.
Note: Half-unit courses (.50) are the equivalent of 2 semester hours and are expected to claim an average of 6 hours of student time per week—the total of in-class time and preparation plus “homework” in a 15-week semester. Quarter-unit courses (.25) are the equivalent of 1 semester hour. In lecture-discussion courses, an average of 3 hours of student time per week is claimed—the total of in-class time and preparation plus “homework” in a 15-week semester. For example, in music ensemble courses earning a quarter-unit, rehearsal time plus preparation and concerts averages 2-6 hours per week. Applied study earning a quarter-unit meets or exceeds the standard of an average of 3 hours of work per week in a 15-week semester.