Classification of Students
Full-Time Students
A full-time student is one who takes twelve or more semester hours in a regular semester or six semester hours during a summer session.
Students must obtain permission from the Vice President for Instruction & Student Services or designated Dean to enroll for nineteen or more semester hours during a regular semester or for more than eight hours during a summer session.
Student classification is based on the number of non-developmental semester credit hours earned. A freshman is a student who has earned 0-29 semester credit hours. A sophomore is a student who has earned 30-72 semester credit hours. Students who have earned more than 72 hours are considered as "unclassified."
In general, a semester hour is defined as the credit earned by passing a course which meets one 50-minute hour per day, one day per week, for one semester of approximately sixteen weeks with a total of sixteen 50-minute hours spent in class.
A three-semester hour course generally meets one 50-minute hour per day, three days per week, for one semester of approximately sixteen weeks with a total of forty-eight 50-minute hours spent in class. A three-semester hour course also may meet one and one-half hours per day, two days per week, for one semester of approximately sixteen weeks with a total of forty-eight 50-minute hours spent in class. These courses may also meet 150 minutes, once a week, for one semester of approximately sixteen weeks.
During a five-week summer course, a three-semester hour course meets eight hours per week, for approximately five weeks with a total of forty-eight 50-minute hours spent in class.
Two or three hours spent in a lab or practice class is usually equivalent to one lecture hour. At least two hours of preparation are recommended for each hour spent in class.