Definition of Credit Hour
A “credit hour" is the unit by which an institution measures its course work. The number of credit hours assigned to a course is defined by the number of hours per week in class, or contact hours, and the number of hours allotted for class preparation. Each course offered at St. Vladimir’s Seminary is assigned an academic credit value based on the following ratio of contact hours to class preparation time, adjusted according to type of course:
- One academic credit is assigned for each hour of instruction (of 50 minutes) per week for a fifteen-week semester.
- For each hour of instruction, it is expected that an additional 2–3 hours will be spent outside of class in reading, research, writing, and other preparation, based on the rate of 20–24 pages of reading per hour and 1/2 page (or 125 words) of writing per hour.
Guidelines for Assigning Work by Type of Course
Included in the fifteen weeks of instruction are thirteen weeks of classroom instruction, one reading week, during which time the onsite intensives of hybrid courses are also scheduled, and the final exam week. Some skills classes meet twice a week.
M.A. & M.Div. Courses
| Number of Credits |
Number of Class Sessions |
Minutes of Instruction per Week |
Hours of Homework per Week |
Total Pages of Reading |
Total Pages of Writing |
Final Assignment |
| 3 credits (core) |
13
|
150
|
6–9
|
900–1050
|
24–30
|
Exam or Take-Home Final |
| 3 credits (elective) |
13
|
150
|
6–9
|
900–1050
|
24–30
|
Paper or Take-Home Final |
Note: In-class exams are considered to be equivalent to papers and take-home exams of 8–10 pages.
Th.M. Courses & Seminars
| Number of Credits |
Number of Class Sessions |
Minutes of Instruction per Week |
Hours of Homework per Week |
Total Pages of Reading |
Total Pages of Writing |
Final Assignment |
| 3 credits |
13 |
150 |
6–9 |
1200–1400 |
30–40 |
Paper |
