<p>I was looking at the requirements for my major... how do all the credits/hours work and is it literally like hours in the class or something else? Basically how does credit for classes work</p>
<p>It depends on what type of classes you plan on taking. Science classes (due mainly to labs) have more class/lab time than the actual number of credit hours. Math classes (due mainly to the emphasis on self-study especially in upper division math courses) typically have less class time than the actual number of credit hours. Humanities classes tend to have roughly the same amount of class time as the number of credit hours. Also, another trend I have noticed is that upper division courses (3000, 4000 level) tend to have less required class time than lower division courses (then again this may be my bias as a math major).</p>
<p>for example my major is International Affairs, and it says the Total Hours required are 120.Does that mean literal hours or “credit hours”? It also says 39 hours beyond Liberal Studies… so how many hours is liberal studies then?</p>
<p>Credit hours</p>
<p>so whats the difference between credit hours and 60 minutes of time?</p>
<p>It’s almost even, but varies depending on type of class. TYPICALLY, three hours = 2.5 hours of real time (either three 50 minute classes per week, or two 75 minute classes). Whenever it says you need X amount of hours, it means credit hours.</p>
<p>Alright thanks. It doesn’t seem like 120 hours would be a lot for 4 years to get a degree.</p>
<p>It is estimated that for every hour of class time, it takes another 2 hours minimum of reading, research, homework, etc. That does not include study time for tests or quizzes. And for science labs, an hour of lab credit can easily be 3 hours in lab alone, not to mention the prelab work due and the post lab assignments. In some instances, the number of credit hours has little to do with the hours spent in the classroom. Most students will spend (or should spend) 40-45 hours a week in class and on assignments, home work, papers, and reading for the 15 credit hours they take each term. That is 8-9 hours each M-F or 6 hours a day spread out over a 7 day week.</p>