How to determine undergraduate academic credit units for your course
A student receives a unit of academic credit when one of the following is true:
They have successfully completed an approved instructional course
They have demonstrated competency or proficiency, or fulfilled learning outcomes equivalent to an approved instructional course
Generally, one unit of credit equals three hours of in-class and out-of-class work per week (a Carnegie Unit of credit). At IU Indianapolis, an hour is defined as 50 minutes, and a 3 credit class must meet for a minimum of 2,250 minutes (excluding the final exam).
As new class delivery methods emerge, it becomes necessary to determine a unit of credit not based on time. These courses shall use demonstration of competency or proficiency, or fulfillment of learning outcomes to ensure the equivalence of traditionally delivered courses.
Academic credit standards
These standards for a unit of academic credit may be modified only when necessary to fulfill requirements of an accreditation agency. If modification is required, then these standards should be treated as minimum requirements.
These requirements were approved by the IU Indianapolis Academic Affairs Committee on April 6, 2001.
For traditional delivery methodologies in a major semester, one unit of undergraduate academic credit equals one of the following:
One hour of lecture, seminar, or recitation and two hours of study per week
Two hours of laboratory, studio, or similar activities and one hour of study per week
Three hours of laboratory, studio, or similar activities per week
Three hours of supervised independent study per week
Forty-five to seventy-five total hours of supervised clinical or fieldwork experiences (additional preparation time may be required)
For traditional delivery methodologies other than major semesters, total hours shall equal the above guidelines.
For nontraditional, synchronous delivery methodologies, one unit of undergraduate academic credit equals one hour of lecture or student/faculty interaction and two hours of study.
Synchronous delivery methodologies include but are not limited to:
Live television courses
Tape-delayed television courses
Web-based virtual lecture courses
For nontraditional, asynchronous delivery methodologies, one unit of undergraduate academic credit shall be determined by one of the following:
Demonstration of competency, demonstration of proficiency, or fulfillment of learning outcomes as judged by the appropriate faculty to be equivalent to a traditionally defined unit of undergraduate credit
What is judged by the appropriate faculty to be equivalent to a time commitment of three hours per week for an average student
Asynchronous delivery methodologies include but are not limited to:
For internships, student teaching, independent study, and like educational activities which are not under the direct supervision of an IU Indianapolis faculty member, one unit of undergraduate academic credit is commensurate with the hours involved and quality of the learning experience and is determined by the credit-awarding unit.
Academic credit is awarded when the student fulfills the objectives and/or obtains the required competencies as set by the credit-awarding unit.
For supervised undergraduate research and similar activities, the amount of effort required for one unit of undergraduate academic credit is determined by the supervising faculty and/or advisory committee.
Special credit may be awarded to degree-seeking IU Indianapolis students who possess, by previous education or experience, a background in a discipline represented by an IU Indianapolis program. The categories under which students are awarded credit are:
Credit by credentials
Credit by experience
Credit by examination
Each school and many disciplines have different policies that define how these mechanisms apply to students seeking credit.
