Credit Hour Policy

Effective January 2025

Definition
Dominican University of California defines a credit hour as an amount of work represented in stated learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement. Such evidence is an institutionally established equivalency that:

Approximates not less than:

One hour of direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately 15 weeks for one semester or equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or

At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph 1.a. of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practicum, studio work, community-based learning, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours; and

Permits the institution, in determining the amount of work associated with a credit hour, to take into account a variety of delivery methods, measurements of student work, academic calendars, disciplines and degree levels. The institution has the flexibility to award a greater number of credits for courses that require more student work.

Periodic Review
Dominican’s academic program review (APR) is the process by which regular, periodic review ensures that credit hour assignments are accurate, reliable and consistently applied. Additional methods can include syllabi review, new course proposal forms, and the schedule of classes.