How many credit hours should I carry?
Average number of credit hours
Although the number of credit hours required to earn a degree will vary depending on the college, degree, majors, and minors, most undergraduate degrees require approximately 130 credit hours. Students, generally, are advised to take 12 credit hours in their first semester to allow them time to adjust to the new demands of college life and 15 credit hours in their subsequent semesters. Following this advice, you will be classified as a sophomore at the conclusion of your first full academic year as you will have successfully completed 27 credit hours. And, if you take 15 credit hours in each of your remaining semesters, you will need a minimum of 9 semesters (or 4.5 years) to earn a degree. You could earn your degree within four years, by taking credit hours in Summer Sessions.
You must take no fewer than 12 credit hours to be considered a full-time student and eligible for financial aid. Most colleges require that you receive special permission from the dean and file an Override Authorization Form if you wish to carry more than 18 credit hours. You should check with your academic adviser if you are considering carrying more than 18 credit hours.
Translating credit hours to courses - how many courses will you be taking?
Although you will find that most college courses are 3 credit hours, math, science and foreign language courses generally range from 3 to 5 credit hours and some courses are offered for less than 3 credit hours (as the example below shows). Taking 12 -15 credit hours will generally translate into four to five university courses. Below are some typical schedules for first semester freshmen:
| Management 198D (1 credit) English 150 (3 credits) Math 104 (4 credits) History 100 (3 credits) Philosophy 106 (3 credits) 14 credits |
Engineering 010 (0 credits)
|
| Library 110 (1 credit) Political Science 100 (3 credits) English 101 (3 credits) Astronomy 103 (3 credits) Anthropology 110 (3 credits) 13 credits |
Education 131 (3 credits) English 150 (3 credits) Univ. Foundations 103 (3 credits) Art History 101 (3 credits) 12 credits |
How does the selection of courses figure into the number of credit hours you take?
For both math and foreign language which will build on your existing knowledge, you should continue these courses early in your university life. If you delay taking them, you may find that you have forgotten some material and will need to study harder to be successful. The First-Year Course Guide recommends courses that you should be taking in order to meet degree requirements but even within these recommendations, you have a great deal of latitude -- allowing you to select courses that interest you! In selecting courses, take a variety of courses that will require different study techniques. For instance, in the example above, English 150 is a composition course that requires you to write frequently; whereas, Math 104 is a business calculus course that will require mathematical analysis, and both Philosophy 106 and History 100 will require thoughtful reading. Studying for these courses will offer you intellectual variety and, consequently, will be less stressful. Although some courses (such as math and foreign language) may be a continuation of what you have learned in high school, you should take something that is a new area for you. Explore your current interests and develop new ones through the courses you select.
Why limit the number of credit hours you take?
Although you control your schedule at the university, which gives you a lot of freedom, you will also find you have a lot more responsibility. Faculty in university courses have different expectations of you than your teachers had for you in your high school classes. (See How will university classes differ from high school classes.) Typically, you should expect that you should spend 2-3 hours studying for every hour in class. For example: With a 3 credit hour class, you would spend 3 hours a week in class and approximately 6-9 hours studying. So one reason to limit the number of credit hours you take is to give you the time to study for the classes. In addition, during your first and second semester, you will be learning about the university, its resources, and its people. Taking time to become a member of the university community during your first semester will allow you to enjoy your years at the university.
