Course Credit and Equivalent
Berea College is on the course credit system. In general, 32 credits are required to earn a degree. One Berea course credit equals 4 semester hours or 6 quarter hours. A transfer course must be equal to a minimum of 3 semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours to receive equivalent credit for a Berea course or to meet a General Education requirement (except for Lifetime Health and Fitness courses).
Below is a credit conversion chart to help determine transfer credit equivalencies:
| Quarter Hours: |
Semester Hours: |
| 6 quarter hours = 1 credit |
4 semester hours = 1 credit |
| 5 quarter hours = .83 credit |
3 semester hours = .75 credit |
| 4 quarter hours = .6 credit |
2 semester hours = .5 credit |
| 3 quarter hours = .5. credit |
1 semester hour = .25 credit |
| 2 quarter hours = .3 credit |
|
| 1 quarter hour = .16 credit |
|
Also see “Transfer Credit” in the Admissions section of this publication.
The amount of credit awarded for each class at Berea is determined by the amount of time students are required to spend both inside the classroom and outside of the classroom in preparation. For each 1.0 course credit in the 15 week fall and spring terms, the minimum standard is that an average student be expected to devote, in class time, preparation, laboratory, studio, fieldwork, and conferences, at least 12 hours per week. A one-credit course meets in class between four and six hours each week. Courses awarding less than one credit often meet correspondingly less (for example, half-credit courses meet a minimum of two hours per week and quarter-credit courses meet a minimum of one hour per week).