Monmouth University Credit Hours
Defined by Course Type:
| 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. | ||||||
| Credits Awarded | Minimum Contact Time Per Week | Minimum Instructional Time Total of 14 Weeks(Contact time X weeks) | Minimum Out of Class Student Work Per Week | Minimum Out of Class Student Work Total for 14 Weeks (Outside Student Work X weeks) | Total Instructional Contact Time and Out of Class Student Work | |
| 1 | 54 contact minutes | 756 contact minutes | 107 minutes | 1500 minutes | 2256 minutes (37.6 hours) | |
| 3 | 160 contact minutes for 13 weeks and 170 minutes for the 14th week | 2250 contact minutes | 321.5 minutes | 4501 minutes | 6761 minutes (112.5 hours) | |
| 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). | |||||
| Credits Awarded | Minimum Contact Time Per Week | Minimum Instructional Time Total for 14 Weeks(Contact time X weeks) | Minimum Out of Class Student Work Per Week | Minimum Out of Class Student Work Total for 14 Weeks (Outside Student Work X weeks) | Total Instructional Contact Time and Out of Class Student Work | |
| 1 | 108 contact minutes | 1512 contact minutes | 53.5 minutes | 750 minutes | 2256 minutes (37.6 hours) | |
| Clinicals | Courses with a focus on experiential learning direct supervision of a faculty member wherein 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), depending upon the amount of outside work assigned. | |||||
PE skill courses (1-credit, half-semester length): 80 minutes instructional time x 13 sessions = 1,040 minutes total. Outside student work per 1/2 semester course : 60-120 minutes.
Total time: 1,100-1160 minutes
| Art Studio | Minimum Contact Time Per Week | Minimum Instructional Time Total for 14 Weeks(Contact time X weeks) | Minimum Out of Class Student Work Per Week | Minimum Out of Class Student Work Total for 14 Weeks (Outside Student Work X weeks) | Total Instructional Contact Time and Out of Class Student Work |
| Credits Awarded | |||||
| 3 | 350 contact minutes | 4900 contact minutes | 160 minutes | 2240 minutes | 7140 minutes (119 hours) |
Art Studio: Studio courses are similar to Laboratory in their contact and out of class instructional time.
Given the diversity of course offerings and delivery and instructional formats, calculating student learning hours requires flexibility and discretion of the faculty member. Consequently, total instructional
contact time and out of class student work hours may vary by course as appropriate to ensure adherence to the program accreditation regulations, licensure requirements, and profession-specific guidelines.
Off campus courses differ only in the campus location. These courses must meet the total amount of instructional and student work as the examples above.
Independent Study: Courses of study in which faculty member regularly interacts and directs student outcomes with periodic contact. Minimum credit hours are determined based in
faculty instructional contact hours minutes and student outside work time. In all such instances, such courses must match the minimum instructional time and minimum out of class student work per
week using 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. Dean review and approval of
an independent study is required.
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 places 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 examples 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 established.
Social Work:
For a BSW Junior – 3 credits of SW 342 and 100 hours of field work – the contact hours outside of class are 6,000 minutes in a semester.
For a BSW Senior – 6 credits of SW 421 and 248 hours of field work – the contact hours outside of class are 14,880 minutes in a semester (this will be the same for SW422 which is a spring
class).
For MSW field (all classes: SW 510, 520, 630, 631, 640, 641) – all 3 credit hours of class work and 250 hours each of field work – the contact hours outside of class are 15,000 hours each semester.
Experiential Education courses allow students to connect what they have learned in the classroom to external experiences, such as internships (paid or unpaid), research opportunities, service learning projects, or study abroad. Through these experiences students gain deeper understanding and develop field-related competencies. They are able to explore possible future careers and lifestyles while considering local and global options, discover and understand other cultures, reflect upon personal and professional development, and relate their experience to life after Monmouth. Examples of ways a student could complete the ExEd requirement include the following: Internships (including practicums, fieldwork, and student teaching); Service Learning; Research; Study Abroad; and ExEd designated courses. Students must consult their faculty advisors to learn more about the specific ways in which the ExEd requirement is completed in their respective disciplines, to plan for meaningful work and service experiences that are relevant to their personal and career goals, and to follow the process for applying for ExEd credit. When students plan for an internship practicum, service learning, or corporate project they must complete fifty (50) hours for every one credit of experiential coursework.
Clinical Clerkships for Physician Assistant Program Credit Analysis: In order to meet the Accreditation Review Commission on the Education of the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) standards set forth in the clinical education requirements, the physician assistant program’s clerkships span over 4 semesters. Within each semester an individual student will be scheduled to one or more of the following specialties: internal medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, family medicine, emergency medicine, behavioral health, women’s health, and two electives. Each rotation is 5 weeks. The last semester, SCPE IV, students must show proficiency and preparedness for clinical practice by successfully passing a summative evaluation (written and practical examinations). Students travel to each site and are assigned to a health professional “preceptor” who is responsible for the on-site clinical education. Students are scheduled to be at each rotations site 40 hours per week with some specialties assigning students for evening and weekend call.
Accelerated Courses: Courses offered outside of a standard 14-week semester 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 as the examples above even if delivered within an accelerated time frame.
Online Courses: Courses offered entirely online without any on-site face-to-face meetings. These courses have the same learning outcomes and substantive components of a standard
lecture/seminar course with an alternate 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 once a week for each week the course runs. 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 above even if delivered online or asynchronously.
Hybrid Courses: Courses offered in a blended format with one or more on-site face-to-face class sections and at least one or more online sessions, both containing direct interaction with a faculty member. Contact time is assessed using both on-site definition (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 above even if delivered online or asynchronously.