Student Load

As defined by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, the amount of credit awarded for a course is based on the amount of time in class, the amount of outside preparation required, and the intensity of the educational experience.

• A formal lecture course with extensive assigned reading or other out-of-class preparation is awarded one semester credit for a minimum of 750 minutes or 12.5 hours of classroom instruction;
• A laboratory class with moderate out-of-class preparation is awarded one semester credit for a minimum of 500 minutes or 25 hours of laboratory instruction; and
• Clinical, practicum, internship, or other self-paced learning activities involving work-related experience with little or no out-of-class preparation is awarded one semester credit for a minimum of 2250 minutes or 37.5 hours of work-related instruction.

North Arkansas College defines student load as a semester hour earned when students satisfactorily complete course work to which they devote the equivalent of one hour per week in class and the equivalent of two hours per week out of class for approximately fifteen weeks.

In laboratory courses it is necessary to spend more time for each semester hour of credit. The normal academic course load of North Arkansas College is 15 semester hours fall or spring semesters. No more than seven semester hours will be allowed during any single summer term. According to Federal Financial Aid eligibility, twelve hours or more is considered a full-time student load and 18 hours is the maximum load, although some technical areas may require more. Students outside these technical areas who wish to take more than 18 hours in a regular semester or more than 10 hours in either summer term, or 14 hours for both terms, must obtain written permission from the Chair/Program Director and Dean of the student’s declared major area.