Expected Student Academic Work Per Credit

Excerpted from Board of Regents Policy: Expected Student Academic Work per Credit: Twin Cities, Crookston, Morris, Rochester.

Workload expectations in this policy are an estimate of the amount of work needed for an average student to earn an average grade. Course grades are based on the quality of the work submitted, not on hours of effort. Workload expectations per credit do not vary with the method of delivery of the course or the length of the academic term.

STUDENT WORKLOAD EXPECTATIONS PER UNDERGRADUATE CREDIT. For fall or spring semester, one credit represents, for the average University undergraduate student, three hours of academic work per week (including lectures, laboratories, recitations, discussion groups, field work, study, and so on), averaged over the semester, in order to complete the work of the course to achieve an average grade. One credit equals 42 to 45 hours of work over the course of the semester (1 credit x 3 hours of work per week x 14 or 15 weeks in a semester equals 42 to 45 hours of academic work). Thus, enrollment for 15 credits in a semester represents approximately 45 hours of work per week, on average, over the course of the semester.
EXCEPTIONS TO UNDERGRADUATE WORKLOAD STANDARD. Professional norms and the nature of the academic work may necessitate spending more than three hours of work per week on average. For example, clinical experiences, some laboratory work, and some studio activities may require more than an average three hours per week. Demands on the student in excess of the average of three hours per credit per week are permissible with college approval and with appropriate notification to the student of the amount of work expected for the course or educational experience (e.g., in class schedules, bulletins, or syllabi).

FAQ: Do the student workload expectations per undergraduate credit apply to courses that are scheduled in academic terms other than the standard semester?

Yes. The expectation of academic work per credit established for semesters applies to all academic terms. Courses scheduled during special terms have the same expectations for student workload per credit as for courses held during the typical semester. For example, a one-credit course represents approximately 42 to 45 hours of academic work, regardless of the length of the academic term.