Assignment of Credit Hours

All courses taken for credit at New York Institute of Technology, which are applied toward degree and certificate completion requirements, conform to applicable state and federal regulations concerning the assignment of credit hours. The following provides information concerning credit hour assignment policies.

I. Credit Hour Definition

New York State Education Department:

All credit-bearing degree and certificate programs at New York Institute of Technology are approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Calculation of credit hours for these programs follows NYSED guidelines, which are consistent with the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of a credit hour.

Section 50.1(o) of the New York State Commissioner of Education Regulations provides:

Semester hour means a credit, point, or other unit granted for the satisfactory completion of a course which requires at least 15 hours (of 50 minutes each) of instruction and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments, except as otherwise provided pursuant to section 52.2(c)(4) of this Subchapter. This basic measure shall be adjusted proportionately to translate the value of other academic calendars and formats of study in relation to the credit granted for study during the two semesters that comprise an academic year.

Section 52.2(c)(4) of the Regulations stipulates:

A semester hour of credit may be granted by an institution for fewer hours of instruction and study than those specified in subdivision (o) of section 50.1 of this Subchapter only:

1. when approved by the commissioner as part of a registered curriculum;
2. when the commissioner has granted prior approval for the institution to maintain a statement of academic standards that defines the considerations which establish equivalency of instruction and study and such statement has been adopted by the institution; or
3. in the event of a temporary closure of an institution by the State or local government as a result of a disaster, as defined in section 50.1(w) of this Title, when the commissioner has granted approval for the institution to maintain a statement of academic standards that defines the considerations which establish equivalency of instruction and study and such statement has been adopted by the institution.

U.S. Department of Education:

Section 600.2 of the Code of Federal Regulations defines "credit hour" 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 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;
2. 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.

The U.S. Department of Education guidance on Program Integrity regulations related to the credit hour (https://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2009/credit.html) also state:

The credit-hour definition does not dictate particular amounts of classroom time versus out-of-class student work. Further note that the definition provides that a credit hour may be for an equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. There is no requirement that a three-semester hour course meet three hours per week during a semester or a three-quarter-hour course meet three hours per week during a quarter. The requirement is that the institution determine that there is an amount of student work for a credit hour that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of class and two hours of out-of-class student work per week over a semester for a semester hour or a quarter for a quarter hour.

II. Credit Hour Assignment Policies

All credit hours awarded by NYIT will conform to the state and federal definitions and requirements listed above. These guidelines are also in compliance with policies set forth by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

New York Institute of Technology generally follows a semester system with fall and spring semesters consisting of a minimum of 15 weeks, which includes one week for exams. Semesters include two cycles which are approximately seven weeks long but nonetheless adhere to the policy in terms of the amount of work required. The summer session is approximately two months and includes three sessions of varying lengths, which adhere to the policy in terms of meeting time and the amount of work required.

Individual schools are responsible for developing, maintaining and evaluating the curriculum within an academic program, although the Board of Trustees or their representative retain final control and approval of the curriculum.

Assignment of credit hours for courses is determined within the program based on faculty expertise and course learning objectives. Existing courses will be evaluated for adherence to the state and federal credit hour regulation using an annual audit. New courses will, upon review and approval at the program level, be reviewed by the Academic Senate which will approve or deny the proposals. The Academic Senate is charged with following the policy on credit hours in their review and approval of all courses and curricula and for certifying that the expected student learning for the course meets the credit hour standard.

Approved courses are sent to the Registrar’s Office for inclusion in the Catalog. The Registrar’s Office reviews the class schedules prior to the start of each semester to ensure that all classes are scheduled appropriately, or otherwise notes when course schedules do not match assigned credit hours. Any discrepancies ae brought to the attention of the appropriate department for correction or explanation.

The following provides general guidance on how the credit hour translates to the particular instruction method.

Lecture and Seminar: Courses with multiple students which meet to engage in various forms of group instruction under the direct supervision of a faculty member. The minimum contact time (that is, direct instructor-led time) per credit per week is typically one (50 minute) hour for each credit (1:1 ratio of contact time to credits, per week). In addition, students are assigned two (50 minute) hours of outside work for each credit, per week. Examples of the minimal amounts for each activity on a per credit basis are displayed in the table below, using a traditional 15-week semester as the base.

Laboratory: Courses with a focus on experiential learning under the direct supervision of a faculty member wherein the student performs substantive work in a laboratory setting. The minimum contact time per credit is typically twice that of a lecture (2:1 ratio).

Fieldwork: Courses with a focus on experiential learning under the direct supervision of a faculty member where the student performs substantive work in a clinical setting. The minimum contact time per credit is typically three times that of a lecture (3:1 ratio of contact hours to credits), depending upon the amount of outside work assigned.

Tutorials: Courses of study designed in instances where enrollment has fallen below established standards but under conditions where a student or students require that course be offered to make academic progress or to graduate. In such instances, the faculty member will work with the student(s) to arrange meeting times which may or may not match the normal course schedule. In all such instances, courses must match the minimum instructional time and minimum out of class student work per week using the examples listed above, and the faculty member is required to keep records of the meeting times and length so that contact hours can be calculated.

Internship/Practica/Field Experience: Courses of study in which a faculty member regularly interacts and directs student outcomes with periodic contact, but where the actual learning environment takes place off-campus at an approved site. The learning experience will typically involve a site supervisor or preceptor and directed activity/learning will occur outside of a lecture setting. Contact time and outside student work requirements must be established and documented, and must match the total amount of work using the example above. The faculty member or program director responsible for the experience is required to keep records of amount of supervised work and the amount of outside work assigned so that contact hours can be calculated.

Accelerated Courses: Courses offered outside of a standard 15-week semester (also known as “cycles”) in which the credit hours offered are the same as standard semester courses and the content and substantive learning outcomes are the same as those in the standard semester. These courses must meet the total amount of instructional and student work time as the examples below even if delivered within an accelerated time frame.

Online Courses: Courses offered a minimum of 80% online. These courses have the same learning outcomes and substantive components of a standard lecture / seminar course with an alternative delivery method. Contact time is satisfied by several means which can include, but is not limited to, the following: a.) regular instruction or interaction with a faculty member, b.) academic engagement through interactive tutorials, group discussions moderated by faculty, virtual study/project groups, engaging with class peers and computer tutorials graded and reviewed by faculty. In all such instances, these courses must meet the total amount of instructional and student work time as the examples below even if delivered online or asynchronously.

Blended Courses: Courses offered in a blended format with 50–79% online and 20–50% face-to-face class sessions, both containing direct interaction with a faculty member. Contact time is assessed using both on-site definitions (for the on-site portion) and online definitions as above (for the online portion). In all such instances, these courses must meet the total amount of instructional and student work time as the examples below even if delivered online or asynchronously.

For each credit:

For a typical 3 credit course: