In accordance with the federal definition of a credit hour, each credit hour of coursework at Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (PCCUA) requires a minimum of one hour of direct instruction (or equivalent learning activity) and at least two hours of out-of-class student work each week over the duration of the academic term.
Accordingly, students should expect to devote a minimum of three clock hours per week for each credit hour enrolled. This includes time spent in class or equivalent instructional activities, as well as time spent reading, completing assignments, studying, and engaging in other activities that support course learning outcomes.
For a three-credit-hour course, students should expect to spend at least nine hours per week engaged in course-related work during a standard academic term. For a four-credit-hour course, including those with a laboratory component, students should expect to spend approximately twelve hours per week engaged in course-related work. Laboratory experiences are considered part of the required instructional time or equivalent learning activities and are designed to support course learning outcomes through applied, hands-on, or experiential learning.
For courses offered in accelerated formats (e.g., eight-week terms), the same total instructional time and student work requirements apply; however, the workload is condensed. As a result, students should expect to devote approximately 18 hours per week for a three-credit-hour course and approximately 24 hours per week for a four-credit-hour course in an accelerated format.
For courses delivered in online or hybrid modalities, direct instruction is achieved through equivalent learning activities within the learning management system. These courses include regular and substantive interaction between students and the instructor through timely, instructor-initiated engagement such as feedback on assignments, guided discussions, structured learning activities, virtual office hours, scheduled conferences, and other instructor-initiated instructional support designed to promote student learning.
This structure ensures that all instructional modalities and term formats—face-to-face, online, hybrid, and accelerated—maintain equivalent academic rigor and are aligned with institutional, state, and federal requirements.