Credt Hour Policy and Resources

​​​Credit Hour Policy​

1. Policy Statement

The Kansas Health Science University (KHSU)-proposed Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (KansasCOM) is charged with ensuring the appropriateness of and amount of student work represented in the curriculum. Corresponding credits will be assigned to all courses within the curriculum, including clinical rotations, based on contact hours as described below. Credit assignments, intended learning outcomes, and verified by evidence of student achievement, will be continually evaluated and assigned on the basis of the Carnegie unit credit hour as provided by the U.S. Department of Education consistent with the glossary of the AOA Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) Accreditation of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine: COM Standards and Procedures. The amount of learning required to progress toward completion of learning outcomes as defined by the rigor, complexity, and content of the degree Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and the expectations of the osteopathic medical profession.

2. Purpose

The Credit Hour Policy is required by 34 CFR 602.24 in the Code of Federal Regulations. Accreditors are required to evaluate, as part of all seeking accreditation and comprehensive reviews, the extent to which institutions meet the federal definition of a credit hour, by reviewing:

• The adoption of a policy on credit hour calculations for all courses and programs at the institution.
• The processes the institution employs to review periodically the application of its policy on credit hour across the institution to assure that credit hour assignments are accurate and reliable.
• Any variations in the assignment of credit hours to assure that they conform to commonly accepted practices in higher education.
  

​​​3. Applicability

This policy applies to KHSU-KansasCOM students, faculty, academic leaders, and operational leaders.

4. Definitions

     4.1. Credit Hour Definition

​KHSU-KansasCOM uses the Federal definition of a credit hour, which states that a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that reasonably approximates not less than:

I. One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit or the equivalent amount of ​​​​work over a different amount of time; or

II. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work including simulation, ​online/distance/hybrid courses, standardized patient experiences, preceptor visits, clinical rotations, internships, practica, independent study, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours. (34 CFR 600.2)

NOTE: At KHSU-KansasCOM, a class hours is defined as 50 minutes.