University Credit System

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• May 08, 2011

University Credit System What is it?

Students are more comfortable with the American System than any other! 

In the American System of education the term course is different from what we know.

Higher education (undergraduate and master’s degree) is divided into modules called ‘courses’.

Other than the scheduled number of instructional hours, each academic course includes fieldwork hours, laboratory hours, lectures, studio or performance hours, practical, seminars or research hours.

The undergraduate level is a 4 year long study with a minimum number of credit hours, ranging from 120 to 130 hours.

Credit hours are the number of weekly lecture hours, where a certain number of credit hours are a graduation prerequisite. On successfully completing a course, performance is judged based on both the student’s grade and a set number of credit hours.
Most colleges and universities follow either a quarter-based or a semester-based calendar system. In a quarter systems, the academic year is divided into three sessions called quarters. Each quarter lasts about 12 weeks. There is usually an additional quarter in the summer, where registration is optional in order to follow up on academic position in terms of credit accumulation.
In the semester system, the academic year is divided into two semesters – the fall and the spring. Students normally hold up to 16 credits each semester i.e. 32 per year. On average, each course has 3 credits or more depending on the number of hours per week. Again, there may be an optional session during the summer. The number of credit hours is also a decisive factor for differentiating between a full-time and a part-time student.
The graduate or the master’s degree level, the minimum number of credit hours required is 30. This requires a full time credit load for one or 2 years. The required course load for a master’s degree is either, 8 courses of of 3 credits each and a thesis of 6 credits or 10 courses of 3 credits each without the thesis.
According to Florian Ingen- Housz, the French education system has been criticized globally by scholars and experts in various career fields for its failure to provide a flexible, all-rounded education.
However, it has been praised with high recognition by the world for its significant contribution in the field of mathematics, especially after the revolution in the banking sector in the late 20th century pioneered by French mathematicians.
The American Educational System, on the other hand, is increasingly being favoured by international students for its share of high class, market friendly education, despite the current criticism of its high cost of education.
The French system vs. the credit system In a credit system, you can choose your material in terms of what and when. You decide whether you take 12 or 18 credits. You choose whether you take physics or math this semester. Of course there are some required courses you need to fulfil before attempting to take a course but you control the general flow of things.

Under graduate level is a 4 year study equivalent to 120 - 130 creditsn The credit system offers a chance at a double major. You can hold 2 degrees in about 4 or 5 years!

On the other hand, the French System of higher education is a yearly based system where everybody follows a well structured and uniformed preset program. . The passing grade is set according to the general average. You either pass the entire year or you don’t.While the American Credit System is ruled by successfully passing the courses taken; failing one subject does not mean failing the entire academic year. If you fail a course, you can retake it in the next semester. 
What does the credit system offer you?
The student is expected to be farsighted enough to make decisions that impact the rest of his or her life.
Besides, colleges enable the student to feel out his coursework over a three year period and since he will not be overloaded with work, he can undertake a simultaneous variety of extracurricular activities.
Last but not least, The credit system offers a chance at a double- major. Some majors have many courses in common. Since you are judged by the flow of credits and courses, you can hold 2 degrees in about 4 or 5 years! Of course, this is applies only to some major such as: mass communication, journalism, business, computer sciences, mathematics, physics, biochemistry, chemistry...
The student is more comfortable with the American System than any other systems; he is regarded as a unique person, endowed with personal and sometimes unrelated preferences., He is normally given the opportunity to manage his studies in a way that will plainly reflect his individuality. This system fits to the individual, and not the other way around.. The student does not have to reshape his preferences in order to fit into the system. These preferences remain intact, because the system welcomes diversity and seeks to attract heterogeneous students. Whether you are a bright student or not; in this system, success is a piece of cake; because you can choose your credits according to your capacity and assimilation degree.
In conclusion, there is much to say about the American System than there is about the French. Since the Renaissance Era, and because American Universities have been faithful to this. Students have been, able to balance their time between sport activities, classics studies, humanities, and sciences.
By: Marianne Alam