Purpose
This policy establishes guidelines for the definition, assignment, and administration of academic credit hours at SMU ensuring alignment with federal, regional accreditation, and institutional standards.
Definition of Credit Hour
The unit of measure for academic credit at SMU is the credit hour. A credit hour represents a reasonable approximation of the amount of work expected in a course, as determined by federal and accreditation guidelines. One credit hour typically consists of:
• One hour (50 minutes) of classroom or direct faculty instruction per week for approximately 15 weeks (or the equivalent over an alternative academic term or scheduling pattern).
• A minimum of two additional hours per week of out-of-class student work for each credit hour.
• Equivalent academic engagement for online, hybrid, laboratory, internship, and experiential learning courses, as defined by the institution’s curriculum policies.
Courses offered in accelerated, summer, or alternative term formats must provide an equivalent amount of student work and learning outcomes as standard 15-week semester courses.
Credit Hour Loads and Limits
Minimum and maximum course loads allowed for the fall and spring terms are based on the school of record.
Students seeking to exceed these limits must obtain approval from the appropriate academic advisor or department chair.
Zero Credit Hour Courses
Academic departments may offer zero (0) credit hour courses under limited circumstances. These courses are intended to document co-curricular learning experiences, skill development, or program benchmarks without contributing to the total credit hours required for degree completion. Examples include:
• Internships, research participation, or experiential learning activities.
• Capstone project requirements, certification preparation, or career readiness experiences.
• Faculty-mentored scholarly activities or international experiences.
Zero credit courses must meet the following conditions:
• The course must have defined student learning outcomes, documented either in the catalog or in an approved syllabus.
• Minimal faculty instruction or direct supervision is required.
• Student evaluation is based on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading system.
• The course does not contribute to GPA calculations.
• The course must undergo the same approval process as for-credit courses and be included in the institution’s official course catalog.
Minimum Hours for Master’s Degrees
SMU requires a minimum of 30 graduate-level credit hours, as defined in this policy, for any master’s degree.
Approval and Compliance
All courses, whether for credit or zero credit, must be approved through the institution’s standard curriculum approval process. Academic departments must ensure that courses comply with accreditation standards and institutional policies regarding workload expectations and learning outcomes.
This policy aligns with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) credit hour requirements and follows guidelines established by Southern Methodist University.
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