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. 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 numbered 99 or below do not count toward any degree program.

Courses numbered 100 to 299 are designed primarily for freshmen and sophomores, but students from other classes may be admitted for lower-division credit. Graduate students may not take these courses for graduate credit.

Courses numbered 300 to 499 are taught primarily for juniors and seniors. Freshmen and sophomores also may be admitted for upper-division credit if they satisfy the course prerequisites given in the Wichita State University Undergraduate Catalog. Graduate students may not take these courses for graduate credit.

Courses numbered 500 to 699 are aimed primarily at juniors and seniors, but graduate students may receive graduate credit for these courses.

Courses numbered 700 to 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 — 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. (See the section called Graduate Credit for Undergraduates for special conditions under which seniors may be admitted to graduate courses.)

Courses numbered 800 to 999 are designed for graduate students only and no students may be admitted to these courses unless they have been admitted to the Graduate School. 

Course Subject Abbreviations

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