Credit Hour Policy
All Graduate Center degree and certificate programs are approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). The Graduate Center credit hour policy for degree and certificate pro- grams is consistent with NYSED guidelines and with the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of a credit hour. The Graduate Center's policy is that, for each credit hour assigned to a course, a minimum of 3 hours of combined in-class and out-of-class work are required per week for 15 weeks. The relative proportions of in-class and out-of-class time are determined at the program level. As all Graduate Center courses are graduate courses, out-of-class work of- ten constitutes a higher proportion of the total 3 hours as compared to typical undergraduate courses. For individual programs’ implementations of the policy, please see their sections in this bulletin.
The first table below shows the in-class and out-of-class work requirements associated with traditional Graduate Center courses carrying different credit assignments. The second table shows the work requirements associated with one-to-one courses.
Regular Courses: In-Class and Out-Of-Class Work Requirement
Credit hours | Hours in class each week | Weeks per semester | Hours in class per semester | Hours reading, researching, and/or writing out of class each week |
1 | 2 | 15 | 30 | 1 Does not apply to dissertations, independent studies, fieldwork, practica, or internship. |
2 | 2 | 15 | 30 | 4 |
3 | 2 | 15 | 30 | 7 |
4 | 2 | 15 | 30 | 10 |
5 | 2 | 15 | 30 | 13 |
1 | 3 | 15 | 45 | 0-1 Does not apply to dissertations, independent studies, fieldwork, practica, or internship. |
2 | 3 | 15 | 45 | 3 |
3 | 3 | 15 | 45 | 6 |
4 | 3 | 15 | 45 | 9 |
5 | 3 | 15 | 45 | 12 |
One-To-One Courses: Work Requirement
Type of course | Hours of work per week | Weeks per semester | Student learning outcome, product, and interaction with faculty |
Dissertation | At least 3 per credit | 15 | Development of a substantial, original work, e.g., a research study, which meets the standards of the field or profession. On their own, students engage in research, writing, creative, or other activity as required by the field or profession and meet with a faculty advisor at regular intervals to receive feedback. |
Independent Study | At least 3 per credit | 15 | The development of a project or product, (e.g., a pilot study, a review of literature), allowing students to acquire more in-depth knowledge of topics covered in classes or knowledge of topics not covered in classes. |
Fieldwork, Practica, Internship | At least 3 per credit | 15 | Documented accumulation of a large amount of supervised, high-quality practical experience in a professional setting. The amount and quality of the experience are determined by the standards of the field and/or accrediting organizations. The goal is for the student to have the experience, analyze it, and learn from it with the assistance of a faculty member with whom the student meets at regular intervals. |