Semester Credit Hour Value - UTDPP1090

Policy Statement

Each course has a specific semester credit hours value, in accordance with Coordinating Board Rules (Title 19, Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 4, Subchapter A, Sec. 4.6). One semester credit hour indicates an hour of instruction and at least two hours of study time per week per credit in a session or semester. For example, a typical lecture course in a 15-week semester is assigned a value of three semester credit hours. The three semester credit hours represent receiving instruction three hours a week, resulting in 45 contact hours and 6 additional hours a week of student preparation including homework.

Factors in determination of the semester credit hour values such as the type of course (for example, laboratory, internship, studio, seminar, etc.) may require proportional adjustment. Courses offered in shortened sessions or semesters are expected to maintain the same number of contact hours.

Semester credit hours for each course are indicated in the academic catalogs or in the schedule of classes for a given term. In the catalog, the hours are shown in parentheses immediately after the course title in each course listing. The number of semester credit hours will be granted upon successful completion.

The University of Texas at Dallas offers zero credit hours courses. Zero credit courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels include independent studies, internship, practicum, and/or professional development courses.

In adherence with SACSCOC’s Credit Hours policy statement, zero credit hour courses undergo the same approval process as other courses. That is, each school or program, pursuant to its bylaws, will determine whether zero credit hours would be appropriate for its students’ academic and co-curricular activities. If so, the school or program faculty will provide rationales within the course proposal request form. Upon approval by the school or program’s curriculum committee(s), the requested course(s) would be routed through the faculty governance process, specifically Council for Undergraduate Education (CUE) or Council on Graduate Education (Graduate Council) for further discussion. Upon agreement from CUE or Graduate Council, the Committee on Educational Policy and Academic Senate will review them before these courses would be added to the University’s course inventory. Then, these zero credit hours courses will be built into the individual degree program(s) and routed again through the faculty governance process for inclusion into the degree programs within the online academic catalogs. Zero credit hours, as all other courses, will need to meet the requirements without altering the University’s structured credit system.