credit hours

SierraBravo · Apr 28, 2015

Three

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Apr 28, 2015

It depends entirely on how your school calculates and records these things. Units don't necessarily equal hours, and hours in class don't necessarily equal credits. We don't know what they do at your place. Ask at the academic advising office or the nursing department office.

For example, I took a chemistry class that was four credits, but it was three hours of lecture plus two hours a lab a week. Our clinical was three days a week for 7.5 hours a day, but it was 12 credits.

caliotter3 · Apr 28, 2015

As stated before, it depends on the definitions used by the named school. To receive 3 credits for a course, school A may require X hours weekly of classroom time, etc. while school B may require a different amount or a different mix of lecture versus lab. It makes no difference to the student in the grand scheme of things, for most purposes.

SierraBravo · Apr 28, 2015

I think the OP may have been asking about credit hours vs. contact hours. But 3 credits = 3 credit hours. 3 credit hours = 45(ish) contact hours if the class meets for 50 minutes 3X/week and if it is a semester based system which lasts 15 weeks.

Edit: I should stipulate that this is the case at most American accredited colleges and universities.

caliotter3 · Apr 28, 2015

For the regular student, this usually comes into play when moving between semester hour-based, and quarter-unit based systems, where you need to calculate how many are equivalent to meet the requirements of the school one is anticipating graduating from. The other example, about CEUs, has to do with continuing education that takes place after one entered the workforce. Another, rare instance, might be an example of: a person is applying to take the licensing exam based upon equivalent education. The document to be filled out by the nursing department, requires X hours (or credits) in Y subject matter, etc., etc. Not a situation faced by everyone on a daily basis.