University courses are expressed in semester hours. A semester hour is consistent with the Carnegie Unit of one hour of faculty directed instruction and a minimum of two hours of academic student work for undergraduate (UG) or three hours of academic work for graduate (G) level courses. A sixteen-semester-hour undergraduate class load will require 16 hours of faculty directed instruction and 32 hours of student academic work each week. A nine-semester-hour graduate load stipulates 9 hours of faculty-directed instruction and 27 hours of student academic work each week. Student academic work contributes to established intended learning outcomes and is verified by evidence of student achievement.
An equivalent amount of work is required for lectures, labs, internships, summer courses, online courses, directed (UG) study, independent study (G), or other course types leading to the award of credit hours. Schools and departments may determine contact time over the minimum requirements as needed. Physical Education activity courses meet two fifty minute periods for one credit hour. A laboratory period of two and one-half to three hours is equal to one period.