Academic Credit Hour Requirements

Brookdale Community College’s requirements for awarding credit complies with regulations set forth by the United States Department of Education and New Jersey Administrative Code Title 9A.

An academic credit hour is 50 minutes and is the measure for awarding credit defined by the U.S. Department of Education at 34 CFR Section 600.2 as “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 … including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours.”

Credit hour requirements:

Brookdale awards one credit hour for each 750 minutes of lecture time (50 minutes per week for 15 weeks) complemented by a minimum of 1500 minutes of outside class student work (100 minutes per week for 15 weeks) per term.

The requirement for awarding one credit of laboratory/studio experience is a minimum of 1500 minutes (100 hours per week for 15 weeks of scheduled lab/studio) complemented by a minimum of 750 minutes of outside class student work (50 hours per week for 15 weeks of scheduled lab/studio) per term. The credit/contact ratio is 1:2. In laboratory/studio sections where there is little or no outside preparation expected by students, the minimum requirement for awarding one credit of laboratory/studio experience is 2250 minutes (150 minutes per week for 15 weeks of scheduled/lab studio) per term. The credit/contact ratio is 1:3.

Outside class student work is the time students spend outside of scheduled instruction such as reading and writing assignments, solving problems, projects, reports, field trips, and exam preparation.

Brookdale adheres to the credit hour requirements regardless of instructional mode or length of term.

Instructional mode:

Lecture — direct instruction with an instructor. Credit hour requirements for lecture sections based on a 15-week semester:

Lecture — 15 Week Semester

*Minimum instructional time and outside class student work per week requirements are adjusted proportionately in shorter terms.

Laboratory/Studio — experimental learning under supervision of instructor where a course-specific learning activity is assigned, attendance is monitored, and instruction is available in a laboratory or studio setting. The credit to contact hour is 1:2 or 1:3. Credit hour requirements for laboratory/studio sections based on a 15-week semester:

Laboratory — 15 Week Semester Credit to Contact Hour 1:2

*Minimum instructional time and outside class student work per week requirements are adjusted proportionately in shorter terms.

Laboratory — 15 Week Semester Credit to Contact Hour 1:3

*Minimum instructional time and outside class student work per week requirements are adjusted proportionately in shorter terms.

Clinical laboratory — the minimum time for 1 credit hour of clinical/field/work experience is 2250 minutes (150 minutes per week for 15 weeks = 45 credit hours). Minimum credit to contact ratio is 1:3. The maximum time for 1 credit hour of clinical/field work/experience is 3750 minutes (250 minutes per week for 15 weeks = 75 credit hours). The maximum credit to contact ratio is 1:5 except where mandated by external (licensing) agencies or transfer agreements.

Special project courses — courses in a discipline that allow students to accomplish a particular project for college credit. Credits to be earned are determined by the extent and nature of the project. Students are required to spend a minimum of 45 credit hours to earn 1 credit, 90 credit hours to earn 2 credits, and 135 hours to earn 3 credits.

Internships — students apply classroom theories and skills in a real work experience. For credit internships the required work hours for each credit will be a minimum of 45 hours. Factors that may impact the number of hours required of a student per credit might include accreditation policies and industry standards.

Online courses — course instruction offered in an online format. Online courses have the same learning outcomes andmeet the same academic standards for quality of instruction, academic rigor, and educational effectiveness as courses offered in traditional classroom format. Credit hours assigned for online course sections are the same as the assigned for face-to-face sections.

Hybrid courses — course instruction offered in a blended format. In a hybrid course online activity is mixed with classroom meetings, replacing a significant percentage of, but not all required face-to-face standards for quality of instruction, academic rigor, and educational effectiveness as courses offered in traditional classroom format. Credit hours assigned for hybrid course sections are the same as assigned for face-to-face sections.

Recommended instructional time:

Typically, 3-credit lecture courses are offered once a week for 150 minutes or twice a week for 75 minutes each session in the 15-week semester, and 4-credit courses are offered twice a week for 100 minutes each session.

This information is available to students through course syllabi, College website, and College catalog. College Regulations that govern course offerings are guided by these requirements.