Policy Rationale
Vermont State University (VTSU) is committed to ensuring courses maintain the same level of academic rigor and student engagement no matter the delivery mode. VTSU recognizes that different types of courses achieve credits hours in different ways, in line with federal regulations. Additionally, the level of student preparedness, readiness, and experience with the academic content may influence the amount of time students spend on academic preparation activities.
Policy
VTSU ensures integrity and consistency of our courses and degree offerings by adhering to undergraduate credit hour and undergraduate credit hour in online classes definitions that are in compliance with federal regulations, the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE), and the National Council on State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). These definitions include expectations for academic engagement and academic preparation by students.
Undergraduate Non-Hybrid and Non-Online Courses
Faculty will lead instruction for the full length of class sessions and for the duration of the semester as scheduled by the Registrar’s Office.
Undergraduate Hybrid and Online Courses
Faculty must provide regular, scheduled interactions and substantive activities such as direct instruction, feedback on coursework, and facilitation of discussions, interacting with students at least 5 days per week.
Examples of Undergraduate Courses and Undergraduate Credit Hours
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Credits & Type of Class
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Duration of course (Weeks)
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Hours of Faculty-Led Academic Engagement
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Minimum Hours of Out-of-Class Academic Preparation
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Total Minimum Hours
|
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1-credit seminar
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15
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1 per week
15 per course
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2 per week
30 per course
|
3 per week
45 per course
|
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3-credit lecture
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15
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3 per week
45 per course
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6 per week
90 per course
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9 per week
135 per course
|
|
3-credit hybrid seminar
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15
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3 per week
45 per course
|
6 per week
90 per course
|
9 per week
135 per course
|
|
4-credit lecture + lab
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15
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3 per week (lecture)
3 per week (lab)
90 per course
|
6 per week (lecture)
2 per week (lab)
120 per course
|
14 per week
210 per course
|
|
3-credit online seminar
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15
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3 per week
45 per course
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6 per week
90 per course
|
9 per week
135 per course
|
|
3-credit online seminar
|
7
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6.5 per week
45.5 per course
|
13 per week
91 per course
|
19.5 per week
136.5 per course
|
|
4-credit online lecture + lab
|
7
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6.5 per week (lecture)
6.5 per week (lab)
91 per course
|
13 per week (lecture)
4 per week (lab)
119 per course
|
30 per week
210 per course
|
|
4-credit Radiology clinical
|
15
|
24 per week avg
360 per course
|
|
24 per week avg
360 per course
|
|
8-credit combined Nursing didactic (6) & clinical (2)
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15
|
6 per week (didactic)
90 per course (didactic)
6 per week avg (clinical)
90 per course (clinical)
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16 per week (combined)
240 per course (combined)
|
28 per week (combined)
420 per course (combined)
|
Responsibilities
Faculty
Students
- Be aware of semester course lengths, credit hours of courses, and related expectations for time commitments, factoring these into course registration decisions.
- Manage workload across life and academic commitments, ensuring sufficient hours for academic engagement and preparation. For example, if you are a student taking 15 credits of classes in a standard 15-week semester, you are committing to an average of over 40 hours per week of academic engagement and preparation, which is the equivalent of a full-time job.
Registrar’s Office
Related Policies
Internships & Cooperative Education
Tutorial & Independent Study
Date of Last Approved Revision: May 2025
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