Overview of University Credit System
Prior to Fall 1986, Franklin Pierce University was on a 4-1-4 calendar. Quantitative requirements for graduation were 36 Units. The heading "Hours" on the transcript is the Unit. One Unit is equal to 3.33 semester hours. Since 2010, transcripts that include both units and semester hours have had the units converted to semester hours.
Commencing with the Fall Semester of 1986, Franklin Pierce University converted to a semester hour system with two fourteen-week semesters and summer terms of four weeks each. As programs and the academic calendar have evolved, many different options have been made available. Please see the applicable Academic Calendar for term/semester lengths and course descriptions for the number of credits each course provides.
Definition of Credit Hour
In accordance with federal policy, Franklin Pierce University defines a credit hour as the amount of work represented in the achievement of learning outcomes (verified by evidence of student achievement) that reasonably approximates 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 hour of credit or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time.
OR
At least an equivalent amount of work as required in the above paragraph of this definition for other activities as established by the institution including internships, practica, private study, studio work, immersion terms, ensembles, lessons, tutorials, student teaching, and other academic work leading toward the award of credit hours.