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Classification of Curriculum Students

Full-Time Students

 Students registered for 12 or more credit hours (nine or more credit hours during the summer session) are considered full-time students.

Part-Time Students

 Students enrolled for one through 11 credit hours (one through eight credit hours in the summer session) are considered part-time students.

Pell Grant Students

 Students receiving a Pell Grant must be enrolled 12 or more hours regardless of the semester to be considered full-time for financial aid purposes.

Freshmen Students

 Students who have successfully completed a total of 0 to 32 semester hours of credit toward their specific program are considered freshmen.

Sophomore Students

 Students who have successfully completed a total of more than 32 semester hours of credit toward their specific program are considered sophomores.

Credit Hours

Credits for courses leading to Associate in Applied Science degrees, vocational diplomas and certificates, and the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degrees are earned on a semester credit hour basis.

  1. Credit of one semester hour is awarded for each 16 hours of class work. Class work is lecture and other classroom instruction that is under the supervision of an instructor.
  2. Credit of one semester hour is awarded for each 32 or 48 hours of laboratory work. Laboratory involves demonstration by an instructor, and experimentation and application by students. Laboratory is under the supervision of an instructor.
  3. Credit of one semester hour is awarded for each 48 hours of clinical practice. Clinical practice is a structured, faculty-directed learning experience in a health sciences program which develops job proficiency. Clinical practice requires significant preparation, coordination, and scheduling by the faculty and is under the supervision of an instructor or preceptor who is qualified for the particular program.
  4. Credit of one semester hour is awarded for 160 hours of work experience such as cooperative education, practicums, and internships. Work experience involves the development of job skills by providing the student with an employment situation that is directly related to, and coordinated with, the educational program. Student activity in work experience is planned and coordinated by a College representative, and the employer is responsible for the control and supervision of the student on the job.

■ Maximum Credit Hour Load

In the interest of student success, the maximum number of credit hours for which a student may register in one semester without the approval of the program head is set at 21.

  1. Any student may enroll for up to 21 credit hours of classes for which he or she is eligible and in which there are seats available.
  2. A student’s request to take more than 21 hours in one semester must be approved by the student’s advisor, the program head of the program in which the student is enrolled, the division chair, and vice president for instructional services.
  3. The 21 hours includes developmental, audited, and credit courses.

Work Experience

Work experience is a learning experience in an employment situation. Work experience involves the development of job skills by providing the student with an employment situation that is directly related to, and coordinated with, the educational program. Work experience is a required component of some curriculum programs. The work experience portion of a curriculum is approved as a part of the curriculum application and each time a curriculum standard is filed. Student activity in work experience is planned and coordinated by an institutional representative and the employer, with control and supervision of the student on the job being the responsibility of the employer and the institution.