Credit Hour Defined 

A credit hour is a measure of graduate or undergraduate academic work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work for each week of instructional time for approximately 15 weeks for one semester, or an equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. A class hour at Wichita State University is typically 50 minutes.

The number of hours of credit for each course is indicated in parentheses following the course title in the academic catalog. Course descriptions include information about the breakdown of class and laboratory hours when applicable. Two hours of laboratory work usually are required for 1 hour of credit.

Course Numbering System

Courses carrying graduate credit are listed in the Graduate Catalog. Only courses numbered 500 and above can carry graduate credit and only for students admitted to the Graduate School at the time of enrollment.

Courses numbered under 500 carry undergraduate credit only and may be taken as supporting or prerequisite courses, but may not be counted toward a graduate degree and are not computed in a student’s graduate grade point average. They are also assessed at the appropriate undergraduate tuition rate. Graduate students who must complete prerequisite coursework at the 500 to 700 level may, in the semester of enrollment, request the registrar's office to change their enrollment level in those prerequisite courses to undergraduate level. Once changed to undergraduate level, those courses cannot be changed back to graduate level, and cannot be used toward a graduate degree. They will not be counted in the graduate grade point average, and they will be assessed at the undergraduate tuition rate. Please be aware that changing the level of these courses to undergraduate could impact financial aid disbursement, as well as credit hours needed to maintain full time graduate enrollment. Some tuition benefits for Graduate Assistants may not be awarded for courses changed to undergraduate level credit. It is recommended that students consult with their advisor, the Financial Aid office (if receiving federal aid) or the Office of International Student Services (if an international student) before changing the level of their prerequisite coursework.

Courses numbered 500–699 are aimed primarily at juniors and seniors, but graduate students may also receive graduate credit for these courses if the student was admitted to the Graduate School prior to enrollment in the course. Some graduate programs do not allow courses numbered 500–699, which carry graduate credit, to meet degree requirements and students should be aware of such restrictions before enrolling. In such mixed classes, a discernibly higher level of performance is expected from graduate students, with the nature of this differential performance set by the professor.

Courses numbered 700–799 are structured primarily for graduate students, but upper-division undergraduate students may be admitted if they meet course prerequisites. All students in these courses are expected to perform at the level of graduate students (Graduate I students who ordinarily have not accumulated more than 30 credit hours in a graduate program). Students receive graduate credit if the student was admitted to the Graduate School prior to enrollment; undergraduate students receive undergraduate credit unless the student was preapproved to earn graduate credit for that specific course under the senior rule policy, or was preapproved for graduate credit for that specific course following the student’s admission to a dual/accelerated bachelor’s to master’s program.

Courses numbered 700–899 are designed primarily for Graduate I students. Courses numbered 900–999 are designed primarily for Graduate II students (those who ordinarily have completed more than 30 credit hours in a graduate program).

Courses numbered 800 and above are restricted to graduate students only or undergraduate students approved for enrollment under the senior rule or dual/accelerated degree options.

In special cases, courses in areas where graduate degree programs are not currently available may carry graduate credit and apply toward a graduate degree in a related field or simply count as graduate credit for some nondegree purpose. Any of these courses applied toward an advanced degree program must have the approval of the student’s advisor and the chairperson of the department involved in advance of enrollment.

Course Subject Abbreviations

The following abbreviations of academic departments and subject areas are used in references to courses offered by those departments.

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ENGT subject courses are in the process of changing to subject code APEN (Applied Engineering) at the time of catalog publication. Check with department for list of available courses.