/Institutions/Palo-Alto-University/json/2024-2025/2024-2025-PAU-University-Catalog-local.json

/Institutions/Palo-Alto-University/json/2024-2025/2024-2025-PAU-University-Catalog.json

Credit Hour Policy

At Palo Alto University credit hour assignments for academic coursework must comply with the definition and assignment of credit hours according to federal regulations as specified in the WASC Credit Hour Policy (July 2011):

"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."

Palo Alto University program directors and program curriculum committees must regularly review credit hour assignments for each course within their curriculum. The assignment of credit hours at Palo Alto University depends upon the format of the class:

1. For courses that do not include laboratory work, formal discussion groups, practica, or other out-of-classroom supervised training, each credit hour assigned implies one hour of direct, face-to-face faculty instruction and at least two hours of out-of-class student work each week for no less than ten weeks in an academic quarter.
2. For courses that do include laboratory work, formal discussion groups, practica, or other out of classroom supervised training, credit units for direct face-to-face faculty instruction are calculated as in #1. Each additional credit hour assigned for lab or other supervised activity associated with the course is awarded for a combination of one hour of academic activity occurring under the direction of a faculty member, teaching assistant, or clinical supervisor approved by Palo Alto University, plus an additional two hours of out-of-classroom student work, each week for no less than ten weeks in an academic quarter.
3. Credit hour assignment for PAU courses in which face-to-face contact with an instructor represents less than one- third of the total required academic work per week, for example, courses offered in an online or technologically- mediated instructional format, requires special justification and review by the appropriate program director and curriculum committee. Such review must establish that each credit hour assigned is equivalent to three hours of academic work per week per quarter.