Unit of Credit

In a face-to-face learning environment, where there is a significant amount of directed teaching, one lecture, seminar, or discussion credit hour represents 1 hour per week of scheduled class/seminar time per semester. Most lecture and seminar courses are awarded 3 credit hours per semester. Over an entire semester, this formula represents at least 45 hours of class/seminar time and 90 hours of student preparation. In on-line learning, as there is less directed teaching and more self-study learning required, a credit hour represents 1 hour per week of following both instructional material on the internet and student self-study time. This independent study requires more focused student learning.  As such, one independent study hour (including thesis or dissertation research) represents 3-4 hours per week of supervised and /or independent practice.  This in turn represents between 45 and 60 hours of work per semester. A typical American Bachelor’s degree program of study on a semester calendar requires at least 120 credit hours to be earned by the student. A  Master’s degree program requires at least 33 credit hours and represents over 4,000 actual hours of supervised and unsupervised (independent research) study, while a doctoral program can represent 8,000 or more actual hours of advanced study and research beyond the Master’s degree.

Credit for Graduate Learning at Calwest University

 All graduate master’s degrees at Calwest University normally requires at least two years of full-time equivalent college-level work beyond the bachelor’s degree. However, due to the flexibilities that the online delivery via a cloud campus can bring, it is possible to accelerate learning and complete two years of full-time equivalent college-level work in just over one and half years by undertaking  10 courses per year.

In total Calwest University master’s degrees require 36 credit hours to be earned by the student. This roughly translates into 12 courses and represents at least 4,500 — and probably more — actual hours of dedicated academic work.

Credit for Doctoral Learning and Research at Calwest University

All doctoral degrees at Calwest University normally requires at least three years of full-time equivalent college-level work beyond the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. However, due to the flexibilities that the online delivery via a cloud campus can bring, it is possible to accelerate learning and complete three years of full-time equivalent college-level work in two years.

In total Calwest University doctoral degrees require 60 credit hours to be earned by the student. This roughly translates into 20 courses and represents at least 10,000 — and probably more — actual hours of dedicated academic work.