Department of Music

Claflin University Department of Music Credit Hour Definition

Claflin University uses Carnegie units to measure semester credit hours awarded to students for course work. Academic credit is recorded in semester credit hours. One (I) fifty (50)-minute lecture period per week for one semester, or the equivalent time in laboratory work, constitutes a semester hour.

Lecture Classes (Traditional Class):

A semester credit hour consists of the equivalent of at least one (I) hour (SO-minute period) per week of"in-class seat time" and two (2) hours per week of out-of-class student work for fifteen (15) weeks. A standard three (3) semester credit hour lecture class meets for at least forty-five (45) contact hours per semester, plus a minimum average of six (6) hours of activities outside of the classroom per week for fifteen (15) weeks.

Laboratory Classes:

A semester credit hour consists of the equivalent of three (3) hours of laboratory work per week for fifteen (15) weeks.

Directed Independent Studies

(includes Distance Education): Instructors should make adjustments so that the total number of hours of work required by students is equivalent to that of a traditional class that meets face-to-face.

Classes offered in a shortened format:

The hours are prorated so that the classes contain the same total number of hours as if the classes were scheduled for a full fifteen (15) week semester.

Graduate and Professional students:

The required academic work normally will exceed three (3) hours per credit per week. Additional information is outlined below for the Music Unit as it relates to specific courses in the Music department.

Credit Hour Definition specific for the Department of Music at Claflin University

The following constitutes the definition of a semester credit hour for various modes of instruction in the Department of Music that is consistent with the University's definition of credit hour. Music courses follow the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) required for awarding credit. Normally one semester hour of credit represents at least three hours of work each week for a period of fifteen weeks.

In lecture classes, such as music history normally one semester hour credit hour of credit is given for SO-minute session plus two hours of homework each week of the term.

For ensembles, like laboratory classes, normally one semester hour of credit is given for two to five 90-minute rehearsal sessions per week, depending on the ensemble.

For applied lessons, normally one semester hour of credit is given for each three hours of practice, plus the necessary individual 30-minute lesson per week with the instructor. For example, a two semester credit hour applied lesson would meet for two 30-minute lessons per week.

For music seminar, which is a laboratory class with the applied area, is zero hours of credit for one hour of class attendance, performance, and a suggested six hours of practice time that are acquired via applied and small ensemble combined practice times, per week, for 15 weeks

For online hybrid, and other nontraditional modes of delivery, credit hours are assigned based on learning outcome that are equivalent to those in a traditional course setting, forty-five (45) hours of work by a typical student for each semester hour of credit. Syllabi for each course will contain the appropriate credit hour from the list above. Each course should then follow this definition.