Credit Hour Definition

A credit hour is a unit of academic credit awarded in accordance with Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) guidelines and accreditation standards. One (1) semester credit hour requires a minimum level of instructional time and academic engagement as defined below.

Minimum Contact Hour Requirements

• Lecture (Face-to-Face): 750 minutes per credit hour, plus a final exam
• Virtual (Synchronous): 750 minutes per credit hour, plus a final exam
• Laboratory: 1,125 minutes per credit hour
• Internship/Clinical/Externship: 2,700 minutes per credit hour (required hours must be completed or approved for make-up with instructor approval)
  
  

Online and Hybrid Courses

• Online (Asynchronous): Credit is based on academic engagement equivalent to face-to-face instruction and must meet Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) standards.
• Hybrid/Blended: Must include at least one-third (1/3) of total seat time in scheduled in-person or synchronous instruction, unless otherwise approved.
  
  

Student Engagement Expectations

Students should plan to spend a minimum of three (3) hours per week outside of class for each credit hour earned.

Seat Time Equivalency for Online and Hybrid Courses

Activity Type	Time Equivalent
Readings	180 words/minute
Videos / Recorded Lectures	Actual length
Discussion Boards	60 minutes
Quizzes	60 minutes
Exams	90 minutes
Case Studies	75 minutes
Deck Slides (No Audio)	50 minutes
External Links	20 minutes
Essays	4 hours/page

Review and Compliance

All courses are subject to periodic review for compliance with KBOR, accreditation, federal financial aid, and institutional standards.

[Updated February 2026]