Skip to main content (Press Enter).
Toggle navigation
Marine Corps University
Marine Corps University
Search
Search MCU:
Search
Search MCU:
Search
Home
About MCU
Leadership
Brigadier General Jay M. Bargeron, USMC
Enduring Commander's Guidance
Mission and Vision Statement
Strategic Plan
History of MCU
Faculty
Faculty Development
Faculty 2.0
Board of Visitors
Accreditation
Quality Enhancement Plan
Directions
Command Brief
Points of Contact
Naval Community College
About USNCC
Leadership
Randi Reich
Robert Kozloski
Mission and Vision
Program Design
Press
Contact Us
Naval University Systems
Colleges and Schools
Marine Corps War College
About MCWAR
MCWAR Curriculum
Faculty
New MCWAR Students
Contact Us
Publications
School of Advanced Warfighting
About SAW
Applications
Academic Calendar 1st Semester 2019
Academic Calendar 2nd Semester 2020
New Students
Links
FAQ
Contact Us
Faculty Directory
Annual Awards
Command and Staff College
Resident
About CSC
Admissions
CSC Faculty Directory
New Students
CSC IMS Distinguished Alumni
Non-Resident
Expeditionary Warfare School
Resident
EWS Command Brief
Curriculum
History
Faculty Directory
Contact Staff
Faculty Applicants
New Students
Non-Resident
Spouse Day
College of Distance Education and Training (CDET)
Command and Staff College DEP
Expeditionary Warfare School DEP
Enlisted College DEP
Leading Marines DEP
Corporals Course DEP
Sergeants Course DEP
Sergeants School Seminar Program
Career Course DEP
Career School Seminar Program
Advanced Course DEP
Advanced School Seminar Program
Continuing Education Program
Blended Seminars
MarineNet
MarineNet Portal
MarineNet Video
Product Development
Moodle
MarineNet Moodle Portal
Contacts and Locations
Regional Campuses
Learning Resource Centers
Photo Galleries
College of Enlisted Military Education
Academic Calendar
MARADMINS
Academies
Camp Lejeune
Enlisted PME & SNCOA Recruitment
Senior Enlisted
Sergeants Major Course
Senior Enlisted Professional Military Enlisted (SEPME) Course
First Sergeants Course
Hawaii
Twentynine Palms
Camp Pendleton
Quantico
Okinawa
CEME School Descriptions
Resident Advanced School
Resident Career School
Resident Sergeants School
Active Duty Command Sponsored Corporals Course
Reserve Command Sponsored Corporals Course
Lance Corporal Seminar
Education Resources
Registration Information
Non-Resident
Academic Programs
Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Creativity
The Krulak Center Faculty
Non-Resident Fellows Biographies
The Krulak Center Newsletter
Community of Interest
Krulak Center Writings
How Do We Learn? By Dr. Christopher C. Harmon
Iran as Competitor: Measured, Violent, Relentless by Dr. Christopher C. Harmon
The New Fighting Words?
Upcoming Events
Job Posting
Innovation Summit
Center for Regional and Security Studies (CRSS)
Subject Matter Expert Support
Operational Culture General Training
Additional Resources
LREC SME Support
Training Course Catalog
Cognitive Dimension Training
SAPR
Education
Regional and Culture Studies Program (RCSP)
Arabian Peninsula and Gulf (AG)
The Balkans (BK)
Central Africa (CF)
Central America (CM)
Central Asia (CS)
East Africa (EF)
The Levant (LV)
North Africa (NF)
Northeast Asia (NS)
Southeast Asia (SE)
Southern Africa (SF)
The Sahel (SH)
South America (SM)
South Asia (SS)
Trans-Caucasus (TC)
West Africa (WF)
West South Asia (WS)
Military Cross-Cultural Competence
Plans & Policy
Publications and Resources
Contact Us
CMC Fellows & Strategists, Foreign PME, & Olmsted Scholars
Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellowships
Foreign Professional Military Education
Olmsted Scholars
Continuing Education
Leadership Communication Skills Center
Lejeune Leadership Institute
Executive Education Program
Marine Leader Development
Coaching
Establishing a LDP
Unit Best Practice Resources
Sample Unit LDP Orders
Leadership Toolkits
Six "Fs"
Fidelity
Fighter
Fitness
Family
Finance
Financial Knowledge Assessment
FKA-Q1
FKA-Q1A
FKA-Q2
FKA-Q2A
FKA-Q3
FKA-Q3A
FKA-Q4
FKA-Q4A
FKA-Q5
FKA-Q5A
FKA-Q6
FKA-Q6A
FKA-Q7
FKA-Q7A
FKA-Q8
FKA-Q8A
FKA-Q9
FKA-Q9A
FKA-Q10
FKA-Q10A
FKA-Q11
FKA-Q11A
FKA-Q12
FKA-Q12A
FKA-Q13
FKA-Q13A
FKA-Q14
FKA-Q14A
FKA-Q15
FKA-Q15A
FKA-Q-Bonus
FKA-Q-BonusA
FKA-Conclusion
Future
Resources
Coaching
Leadership Tools - Copy
Marine Corps Civilian Leadership Development Program
Policies
Civilian Leadership Tiers
Tier-1
Tier-2
Tier 3
Tier-3
Tier-4
Resources
FAQ's
Contact Us
MCLDP About
MCCLDP Mission
MCCLDP Programs
Tier-1
Marine Corps Professional Reading Program
LLI Ethics
Ethics Presentations
Ethics Resources
Featured Courses
Ethics Workshop
Leadership and Ethics Workshop
Commandants Combined Commandership Course
Commanders Resources
About
Resources
SgtsMaj
Cornerstone Presentations
Spouse Workshop
About spouses workshop
SPOUSE FAQ
Spouse Resources
Spouse Workshop Presentations
About
Case Studies
MAGTF Instructional Group (MIG)
Middle East Studies
Events & Outreach
Lecture Series
MENA Democratization Seminar 2015
Afternoon Keynote Photos
Morning Keynote Photos
Panel 1 Photos
Panel 2 Photos
Past Outreach Events
Publications
Insights
Monographs
Occasional Papers
In Review
Scholars' Publications
Dr. Amin Tarzi's Pubs
Adam Seitz's Pubs
In the News
Contact Us
Professional Military Education Continuum
Primary Level
Intermediate Level
Senior Level
SECDEF Strategic Thinkers Program
Commandant of the Marine Corps Strategist Program
Research
Marine Corps History Division
Histories Branch
Types of Works
Support of MCU Strategic Plan
Research Tools/Facts and Figures
Lineal Lists
Status of Forces
Marine Corps Casualties 1775-2016
End Strengths
Chronologies of the Marine Corps
Select Finding Aids for the Archives Branch
Personal Papers
Official Records
Casualty Card Database
WW1 Casualty Cards
Outside Resources
About the History Division
Mission
Historical Branch
Historical Reference Branch
In-person Research
Archives Branch
Oral History Branch
Oral History Primer
Film and Video History Section
Editing and Design
Field History
Frequently Requested Topics
Brief Histories
Oral History
Distinguished Marine Career Interviews
A 'Do-It-Yourself' Oral History Primer
Contact Us
Start Your Research
Human Subjects Research and IRB
Library of the Marine Corps
Archives Branch
Outreach
Marine Corps Association and Foundation
Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
Marine Corps University Foundation
Marine Corps University Speakers Bureau
Speaker Requests
Speakers Bureau Members and Topics
Speakers Bureau Terms and Conditions
National Museum of the Marine Corps
MCU Alumni Association
Marine Corps University Press
About MCUP
Acquisitions
Editorial Board
MCU Journal
Books (by topic)
Expeditions with MCUP (digital journal)
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Water Scarcity in Brazil
Policy, Perception, and Misperception
The Finely-Honed Blade
The Operational Warfare Revolution
Limited Wars in the Periphery
To Win without Fighting
Lake Chad
Shopping Cart
MCUP
History Division
About
Acquisition
MCH
Books (by topic)
Shopping Cart
Marine Corps University Publications
The Breckinridge Papers
SAW Reflections on Battle
Adapting to Win
The Landing PME Portal
Students
New Student Check-In
International Student Check-In
Things to do Prior to Departure
Things To Bring With You
What to Expect and Do Upon Arrival
Military Housing Information
MarineNet
MarineNet Moodle
Request Transcripts
Research Topics
LCSC
Faculty & Staff
Administration
MCU Faculty Development
Operations and Plans
IRAP
MCU Ground Training
Registrar
MCU Room Reservations
Faculty Directory
Academic Regulations
Logistics Support
IT/ET Group
Alert System
Google Meet
Helpdesk
Cellphone_Tablet
Personal Laptop
MCEN Support
CampusNet Wifi
How to Handle Spam Email
Horizon View
Pulse Secure
Google Meet Live Stream
Home Use Program
Backing Up EDU GSuite Data
Home
Faculty & Staff
Academic Regulations
Chapter 2: Computation of Credit Hours
Computation of Credit Hours
Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to provide MCU guidance for the computation of contact hours and semester credit hours to be awarded for courses.
Credit Hours. All credits toward the University’s master’s degrees are earned through instruction offered by the University. Marine Corps University does not accept transfer credit from any institution. In order to serve students in the most consistent way possible, standardization is required in the computation of credit hours. To this end, MCU uses the federal definition of a credit hour as follows:
a.Not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time, or
b.At least an equivalent amount of work as required outlined in item (a) above for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
Contact Hours. The contact hour is the basic unit of attendance. Credit hours are computed using contact hours. The ratio between credit hours and contact hours depends on the type of coursework/ method of delivery and is defined as follows:
a.Direct faculty instruction (e.g., lectures, seminars, films, exams, staff rides, and field studies): One contact hour equals sixty minutes of scheduled direct faculty instruction [1:1]. With the exception of staff rides and field studies, one contact hour of direct faculty instruction is associated with a minimum of two hours of Personal Study and Preparation Time (PSPT).
b.Experiential learning activities (e.g., student decision exercises, war games, and practical exercises): One contact hour equals 120 minutes of scheduled experiential learning [1:2].
c.Directed research projects (e.g., the Master of Military Studies (MMS) paper at the Command and Staff College): One contact hour equals 180 minutes of scheduled research/mentoring time [1:3].
d.Events such as research paper preparation as a requirement of a core or elective course, travel, social events, and administrative duties will not be included in the computation of contact hours.
e.Non-credit blocks of instruction will not be included in the computation of total contact hours.
Computation of Credit Hours. Semester credit hours will be computed by dividing contact hours by 15, rounded to the nearest whole number using common rules for rounding. For example, if the number of seminar/lecture hours for a given course totals 40, this would equate to three credit hours (40 / 15 = 2.67 = 3.0 credit hours). Likewise, a 40-hour practical application exercise would equate to one credit hour (40 / 2 / 15 = 1.33 = 1 credit hour). Finally, 40 hours of directed research/mentoring would also equate to one credit hour (40 / 3 / 15 = 0.89 = 1 credit hour).
Reporting. Each MCU educational program will use Appendix A to submit an annual breakdown of its contact hour and semester credit hour breakdown for its upcoming academic year no later than 1 May of each year to the University Registrar. In order to ensure that the calculation of credit hours is consistent across the University, the Director, Academic Support Division will convene a panel to review all submissions and address any issues or inconsistencies. Once approved, the Registrar will maintain records of the Credit Hour Report (CHR) to ensure the transcript generated for each of the MCU colleges and schools reflects the total number of semester credit hours, rounded to the nearest 1.0 credit hour, as reflected in the report.