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Credit Hour Guidelines

City Tech’s degree and certificate programs are approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Our credit hour policy for degree and certificate programs is consistent with NYSED guidelines and with the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of a credit hour.

Per NYSED:

Semester hour: a credit, point, or other unit granted for the satisfactory completion of a course which requires at least 15 hours (of 50 minutes each) of instruction and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments, except as otherwise provided pursuant to section 52.2(c)(4) of the Commissioner’s Regulations. This basic measure shall be adjusted proportionately to translate the value of other academic calendars and formats of study in relation to the credit granted for study during the two semesters that comprise an academic year.

Semester credit hour means a credit or unit granted for the satisfactory completion of a course, which requires at least 15 hours (of 50 minutes each) of instruction and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments. This basic measure shall be adjusted proportionately to translate the value of other academic calendars and formats of study in relation to the credit granted for studying the two semesters that constitute an academic year. Following CUNY guidelines, City Tech operates on an academic year divided into two equal semesters of 15 weeks duration (which runs from late August through the end of May), a winter intersession of three weeks, and various shortened summer sessions. City Tech offers a full range of undergraduate courses on a day, evening, weekend, hybrid, and online schedule.

Consistent with codes and regulations of the State of New York (NYSED) and CUNY, the actual amount of academic work that is required of a single semester credit hour is calculated as follows:

  • Lecture, seminar, discussion, recitation
    A semester credit hour is an academic unit earned for fifteen 50-minute sessions of classroom instruction with a normal expectation of two hours of outside study for each class session. Typically, a three-credit-hour course meets three 50-minute sessions a week for fifteen weeks for a total of 45 sessions.

  • Laboratory, practicum, workshop, studio
    A semester credit hour is awarded for the equivalent of fifteen periods of such activity in which each activity is 150 minutes or more in duration with little or no outside preparation expected. Forty-five 50-minute sessions of such activity also normally earn one semester credit hour. Where such activity involves substantial outside preparation by the student, the equivalent of fifteen periods of 100 minutes duration each earns one semester credit hour.

  • Fully online and hybrid course

    Credit hours are based on the same formula as above. A course that is fully online or partially online (hybrid) requires the same amount of direct computer-based work as the time spent in the class. The amount of student preparation is equivalent to the standard course models above.

  • Sessions
    Credit hours are earned in short sessions (e.g., summer sessions, winter intersessions) proportionately to those earned for the same activity during a regular session of the institution. Required minutes are divided over the number of days in the shortened session.

Based on a 50-minute credit hour, minutes for all course sections are computed by the Enrollment Management. Classes follow the college's “bell schedule” to ensure minimum contact hour requirements are met and classroom space is maximized.