Programs, Courses & Credits

In this section:

• Academic Definitions
• Rules for Attaining Multiple Credentials
• Modality Definitions

Academic Definitions

The following definitions are applicable to West Virginia University, WVU Potomac State College, and WVU Institute of Technology. 

Degree Designation

A degree, which is an award signifying a rank or level of educational attainment and which is conferred on students who have successfully completed a degree program. The degree is represented by the official degree designation, e.g. B.A. - Bachelor of Arts, B.S. - Bachelor of Science, A.A. - Associate of Arts, etc. The degree designation is noted on the student’s diploma and transcript.

Degree Program

A degree program is defined by the combination of its degree designation (e.g., Bachelor of Science) and a program title that represents the overarching content areas the program's major or majors covers (e.g., Chemistry). Degree programs are approved by the institution and the Board of Governors (BOG) and listed on the official inventory of degree programs. An associate’s degree program requires a minimum of 60 credits. A bachelor’s degree program requires a minimum of 120 credits. Visit the Curriculum and Catalog page of the Office of the University website regarding additional requirements. A master’s degree program requires a minimum of 30 credits. For a doctoral degree, the minimum number of required graduate credits is set by the program. A degree program must include at least one major.

Major

A major is a field of study within an approved degree program with its own curriculum. Typically, an undergraduate baccalaureate major requires a minimum of 30 credits with the majority of credits at the upper-division level. WVU includes major(s) on the students' diplomas and transcripts.

Minor

Minors are only available at the undergraduate level. A baccalaureate minor is an area of study outside of the major that encourages students to pursue a secondary field. A minor comprises at least 15 credits, 9 of which must be upper-division level. Minors are noted on the transcript but not on students' diplomas.

Area of Emphasis

An area of emphasis (AoE) is a focused curriculum within an approved major. An area of emphasis adds a specialization within a major area of study. Undergraduate areas of emphasis comprise 12-18 credits, 9 of which must be upper-division level. Graduate areas of emphasis comprise 6-15 credits. If a course is used by all required Areas of Emphasis offered in a major, that course is part of the major's core requirements and cannot be included in the Areas of Emphasis. Areas of emphasis associated with certification or licensure requirements may exceed the credit limit. Areas of emphasis are noted on the transcript but not on the students' diplomas.

Track

Tracks are used in graduate programs to clarify the different program requirements for students depending on whether or not they will pursue a thesis, research, project, or coursework-based path to completion. Tracks are not included on the transcript or on the students' diplomas. Tracks will no longer be permitted in undergraduate program curricula.

Undergraduate Certificate Program

An undergraduate certificate program is a specialized curriculum designed for students seeking expertise in a specific area for personal or career development. A certificate is awarded with or without an undergraduate degree and comprises 12 to 18 credits of course work, with a minimum of nine hours at the upper-division level (courses numbered 300 or above). Each certificate must have a minimum of 9 unique credit hours, distinct from any other academic credential. The certificate appears on the student's transcript and the institution issues an official certificate of completion. Students who are pursuing an undergraduate certificate without also being enrolled in a bachelor's degree program will not be eligible to receive Title IV federal financial aid.

Graduate Certificate Program

A graduate certificate program is a specialized curriculum designed for students who have previously earned a baccalaureate degree or who are enrolled in a WVU graduate or professional program and who are seeking a specific body of knowledge for personal/career development.  A graduate certificate program can be completed either independently or along with a degree program and comprises 12 to 21 credits.  See the Academic Certificate Policies page for credit limitations applicable to earning a certificate.  The certificate appears on the student's transcript and the institution issues an official certificate of completion.

Teacher Specialization

Teacher specialization is a state-approved curriculum that prepares students to meet teaching certification standards in a specialized content area and at a specific programmatic level. Teacher specializations may be a major, minor or area of emphasis. Teacher specializations are added to a student's transcript only at the time of graduation.

Bachelor's to Juris Doctor (JD)

Students accepted into an approved 3+3 Program will start the JD at the beginning of what would have been their fourth year of undergraduate studies. By coordinating the plan of study for both degrees via the 3+3 Program, students who successfully complete the program obtain both their bachelor's and JD degrees in 181 credit hours and six years, instead of the 211 credit hours and seven years that a student normally must complete to receive both degrees.

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Rules for Attaining Multiple Credentials

Undergraduate Multiple Curricula

Multiple curricula refers to the completion of minors, areas of emphasis, or majors in addition to the primary major. If these areas of study are related, some of the credit hours must be unique to each major or minor.

Requirements for multiple curricula include:

• Each baccalaureate major must have a minimum of 50% unique credit hours. Students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree after the conferral of a first bachelor’s degree must complete a minimum of 30 additional credits.
• Each associate major must have 15 unique credit hours.
• A maximum of 6 credits may be shared between multiple areas of emphasis.
• Each minor must have a minimum of 9 unique credit hours distinct from any other academic credential.

Graduate Multiple Curricula

Graduate and professional students may simultaneously or sequentially pursue more than one degree or major (although no more than one PhD degree), one or more certificates in addition to degrees or majors, or more than one area of emphasis within their major(s) according to rules specified below and elsewhere in the Graduate/Professional Catalog. Applicability of courses and credits to degree, major, certificate, or area of emphasis requirements is the decision of the program offering the curriculum. Individual course credits may be applied to no more than two degrees, majors, or certificates.

Students pursuing multiple curricula are urged to consult with their advisor(s) to ensure adherence to credit sharing limitations.

Credit Sharing Limitations for Graduate Degrees and Majors

No more than a total of 12 of the credits required for a graduate degree (other than PhD degrees, which are not dependent on credit accumulation) can be:

• earned prior to admission to the degree program,
• earned prior to graduation with another WVU degree,
• earned at another institute, OR
• simultaneously applied to other degree programs or certificates (e.g., while enrolled in the degree program).

Students who simultaneously earn credits toward two or more WVU degrees must, in most cases, graduate with all degrees in the same term to ensure that all credits, including up to 12 credits shared by the degrees, can be applied. Once a student is awarded a graduate degree, only 12 credits earned to that point in time can be applied to a subsequent degree or major. 

Exceptions: Doctoral programs that require or allow students to earn a master's degree in the same discipline may count the courses earned in the master's degree program toward the doctoral program without credit limitations.  In addition, some approved dual degree programs are allowed to share more than 12 credits.

Credit Sharing Limitations for Graduate Certificates

See Academic Certificate Polices for credit limitations applicable to earning a certificate. See Credit Sharing Limitations for Graduate Degrees and Majors for limitations on applying credits earned as part of a completed certificate to a graduate degree or major. 

Credit Sharing Limitations for Areas of Emphasis 
Normally, students may share a maximum of 3 credits between areas of emphasis with the same major. 

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Modality Definitions

Contingent upon the needs of the unit, faculty/instructors must consult with their respective departmental chairs/college to select the most appropriate instructional delivery modality for their specific course section(s) as noted below. Distance Education Courses are credit-bearing courses in which 50% or more of the course is delivered through distance learning technologies.

All courses should be taught in the modality indicated in the schedule of courses at the time of student registration. In the case of instructor illness or other emergency a course may shift to online instruction with the approval of the appropriate Dean.

Course Delivery Options

• Asynchronous Online: (100% online + asynchronous only) 100% of class sessions are delivered via distance education technologies. There are no campus visits or visits to designated sites. No synchronous events, including lectures, examinations, etc. can be required, as all students must have the same access to key components of the course. If synchronous events are offered, they must be optional and for enrichment purposes only (guest speakers, office hours, etc.), the core benefits of which must also be offered in an asynchronous format. Cannot be self-paced. Substantive instructor-initiated interaction is present.

      Examinations in undergraduate courses are administered fully online asynchronously.

• Synchronous Online: (100% online + synchronous events) 100% of class sessions are delivered via distance education technologies. There are no campus visits or visits to designated sites. May have both synchronous and asynchronous elements. Synchronous learning events may be required throughout the course. Cannot be self-paced. Substantive instructor-initiated interaction is present.

      Examinations in undergraduate courses are fully online, either synchronously (at the regularly scheduled class time) or asynchronously.

• Arranged Low Residency Online: (75-99% online*) At least 75% of class sessions are delivered via distance education technologies. This type of course may require students to travel to attend an orientation, take exams, or participate in other on-site experiences. May have both synchronous and asynchronous elements. Substantive instructor-initiated interaction is present.

      Examinations in undergraduate courses can be offered online or face-to-face.

• Correspondence: (100% online) Course content and exams are usually delivered via distance education technologies. Interaction between the instructor and the student is limited, is not regular, or is not substantive, or is primarily initiated by the student. Can be self-paced. 

      Examinations in undergraduate courses are administered fully online asynchronously.

• Hybrid: (50-74% online*) At least 50% but less than 75% of instruction is delivered via distance education technologies, but some visits to a classroom or designated instructional site are required. The instructor decides which portions of the class are offered in person vs. online.

      Examinations in undergraduate courses may be administered face-to-face or online at the discretion of the instructor.

• HyFlex: All core class content is available both face-to-face and online. Students can choose to attend on campus, online, or move back and forth between the two based on their preference.  May have both synchronous and asynchronous online elements. 

      Examinations in undergraduate courses must be made available to students online, but a face-to-face option
      may also be offered at the discretion of the instructor.

• Traditional/ On-Campus: (less than 50% online*) The majority of instruction is provided in a face-to-face classroom setting and physical attendance is expected.  However, students may be expected to regularly supplement their learning through the use of distance learning technology.

      Examinations in undergraduate courses are available either synchronously and in-person at the regularly scheduled class time or asynchronously online.

*Percentage is provided as a general guideline and is not intended to be a precise measurement.

Distance and Extended Education Program Definitions

https://online.wvu.edu/

At WVU, Distance Programs are categorized in one of the following three ways:

• Fully Online – (100% distant) – No residency requirement - All required credit- bearing and any non-credit bearing courses and activities are conducted at a distance with NO required campus attendance and/or visits to designated locations. Optional campus visits and/or visits to designated locations are permissible.

• Low residency (75-99% distant) – Limited residency requirement - A majority of the credit-bearing and non-credit bearing courses and activities are either entirely online or mostly online. Some credit- or non-credit-bearing activities may require campus visits and/or visits to designated locations. Example activities could be program orientations or cohort-based site visits.

• Blended (50-74% distant) - Extensive residency requirement – At least 50% of the credit-bearing and non-credit bearing courses or activities are delivered entirely online. The remaining credit-bearing courses may be offered as face-to-face, partially at a distance, or as distance delivery courses.

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In this section:

• Graduate Certificate Programs
• Approved Dual Degree Programs
• Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Programs

Graduate Certificate Programs

For a complete list of certificates and information on WVU's graduate certificates, please see our Graduate Certificates Page.

Approved Dual Degree Programs

West Virginia University offers several approved dual degree programs. Approved dual degree programs allow specific courses or credits to be accepted for credit by both programs.

Approved dual degree programs allow students to concurrently pursue a specific combination of two WVU degrees following an established plan. The two degrees may include a master's degree with another graduate degree (master's, Ph.D., or a professional doctorate) or a Ph.D. with a professional doctorate.  Approved dual degree programs are listed below, and their requirements are included in this Catalog.

The guidelines described in this section apply only to approved dual degree programs. Students may also independently pursue or complete two or more graduate/professional degrees or certificates (except that students may only complete one Ph.D. degree from WVU) with approval from both programs and following the rules described in this catalog.

Admission:

An approved dual degree program must specify when students may be admitted. Students admitted to a dual degree program must meet the admission standards for both programs, and both programs must approve the student for dual degree admission. Students may not be admitted provisionally for a dual degree program. Students with University Fellowships are not eligible for dual degree programs without the Associate Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs' permission.

Requirements:

Students in approved dual degree programs complete all requirements for both degrees and are subject to all relevant University and program rules in place for students in either degree program. Students are conferred both degrees simultaneously after completing the requirements for both degrees.

An approved dual degree program may allow students to count some course or milestone activities toward the requirements of both degrees as described in the approved curriculum for the dual degree program. More than two programs, including graduate certificate programs, may not share individual course credits. A maximum of 20% of the sum of the credits required for the two degrees may be shared by the two degrees, not to exceed 24 total shared credits.

Enrollment:

Students accepted to an approved dual degree program will be enrolled in both programs. Unless given specific permission by the relevant deans, students admitted to an approved dual degree program must maintain full-time continuous enrollment during fall and spring terms. Individual programs determine enrollment requirements in the summer term. Students pursuing a dual degree will not be approved for course overloads to accelerate completing the dual degree program.

Continued Eligibility & Termination:

Students in an approved dual degree program must maintain a cumulative GPA and specified criteria for good standing in each program. Grades in all courses taken will contribute to a student's cumulative GPA. However, students enrolled in a dual program that includes a professional program may have independently calculated GPAs for each program. Student eligibility for program continuation will be evaluated at the end of each semester.

Probation in one program may impact credit sharing agreements or a student's standing in the remaining program. Students who are terminated from one program remain in good standing in the other program unless the other program takes some action to change the student's standing. The remaining program will determine whether or not any courses taken in the terminated program can be counted toward degree requirements.

Graduation:

Students admitted to an approved dual degree program should plan to have their two degrees conferred simultaneously upon completion of all requirements for both degrees. If a student chooses to receive one degree before the other in the dual degree program, the rules for sequential degrees apply, and up to 12 previously earned credits can be applied to the subsequent degree (see Rules for Attaining Multiple Credentials).

Approved Dual Degree Programs:

• Doctor of Dental Surgery/Master of Business Administration
• Doctor of Pharmacy/Master of Business Administration
• Master of Science in Nursing (Executive Focus)/Master of Business Administration
• Doctor of Jurisprudence/Master of Business Administration
• Doctor of Jurisprudence/Master of Science in Business Cybersecurity Management
• Doctor of Jurisprudence/Master of Public Administration
• Doctor of Jurisprudence/Master of Social Work

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Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Programs

Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's degree programs (ABM programs) offer WVU students the opportunity to pursue both a bachelor's and a master's degree at WVU in the same or related disciplines in an accelerated time frame. Students in approved programs can take required courses for the master’s degree at the 400 or 500 levels prior to completion of the bachelor’s degree. 

Students admitted to an ABM program will have their bachelor’s and master’s degrees conferred simultaneously upon completing all requirements for both degrees. 

The bachelor’s degree in an ABM program must require at least 120 credits, and the master’s degree must require at least 30 credits, including any courses (up to 14 credits) approved to count for both degrees. For additional information, see the section below on Attaining Multiple Curricula. 

Admissions, Enrollment, and Program Standards

All ABM students are expected to work closely with an academic adviser.

• Regular admission may not be any earlier than the semester in which an undergraduate student is expected to complete 60 credits or later than the semester after which the student needs two additional semesters to complete the bachelor’s degree. 
  • The minimum standard for regular admission is a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0, with no provisional admission allowed. The individual programs determine additional admissions criteria (such as completion of specific courses, entrance exam scores, letters of recommendation, or personal statements).
  • Students must complete at least 24 undergraduate credits in residence to be eligible for admission into an ABM program.  
• Each ABM program will determine when students begin taking graduate-level courses; students should consult the WVU Catalog for the ABM plan of study.  ABM students do not need to complete a Senior Petition to enroll in graduate-level courses. 
  • Courses taken and credits earned while enrolled as an undergraduate student will be recorded on the undergraduate transcript even when used to fulfill graduate requirements. 
• Undergraduate ABM students will have their academic status updated to graduate as prescribed by their ABM program.  
  • Students must maintain academic standards set forth by the academic unit corresponding to their status (i.e., undergraduate or graduate).  
  • Students must be switched to graduate status effective the semester after they have reached 120 credits and have met all other undergraduate graduation requirements.  The ABM program coordinator will request the change of status during the semester when the undergraduate requirements are expected to be completed, effective the following semester.  If students fail to complete the undergraduate requirements, their status for the following semester will be changed back to undergraduate. 
• Students admitted to an ABM program must maintain full-time continuous enrollment during fall and spring terms unless given specific permission by the appropriate dean. Individual programs determine enrollment requirements in the summer term. 
• Students admitted to an ABM program may not pursue a dual degree, double major, or certificate unless approved by the appropriate dean(s).  They may pursue minors and areas of emphasis as approved by their advisor.  
• Students’ eligibility to remain in the ABM program will be evaluated at the end of each semester. Students failing to meet academic standards of the university, college, school, or program will be placed on program probation for no more than one semester, after which they will be terminated from the ABM degree program. Terminated students and students who choose not to continue in the ABM degree program will be eligible to receive their bachelor's degree when they have completed the bachelor’s degree requirements and earned a minimum of 120 credit hours. The credits earned in graduate-level courses apply to the minimum credits required by the bachelor’s degree program. 

Tuition and Financial Aid

Students in an ABM degree program are charged undergraduate tuition and are eligible for undergraduate financial aid as defined by each program in the Catalog. Once the student’s academic status has been updated to graduate level, students are charged graduate tuition. They are eligible for graduate assistantships (with permission of their program) or other graduate student funding opportunities and financial aid. 

Approved ABM Programs:

• Bachelor of Science in Physical Education & Kinesiology and Master of Science in Physical Education Teacher Education
• Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Sport Management
• Bachelor of Science in Sport and Exercise Psychology and Master of Science in Sports Management 
• Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Journalism
• Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications
• Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications
• Bachelor of Science in Advertising & Public Relations and Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications 
• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration-Accounting and Master of Science in Forensic and Fraud Examination 
• Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Economics 
• Bachelor of Arts in French and Master of Arts in Linguistics
• Bachelor of Science in Immunology and Medical Microbiology and Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences
• Bachelor of Science in Environmental Microbiology and Master of Science in Applied & Environmental Microbiology
• Bachelor of Science in Health Services Management and Master of Health Administration 
• Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Master of Public Health 

In this section:

• Course Requirements
• Schedule of Courses
• Schedule Type Definitions
• Plan for Numbering Courses
• Catalog Abbreviations
• Graduate Level Common Course Numbers and Descriptions

Course Requirements

All credit-bearing courses require a syllabus. 

Schedule of Courses

Before the opening of each term, a Schedule of Courses is posted announcing the courses that will be offered by the colleges and schools of WVU.

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Schedule Type Definitions

• Lectures are taught by faculty, can be taught in small or large sections and through various pedagogical strategies. Typical lecture courses award 3 credit hours and thus meet either three times a week for 50 minutes or twice a week for 75 minutes with twice that amount of time expected for weekly homework.
• Laboratory courses provide students with experience in manipulating specialized instrumentation, chemicals, other required physical materials, or occur at specific sites.  Laboratories are typically attached to a lecture, both of which must be completed at the same time. Typical laboratories meet once a week for two hours.  Laboratories may be taught by teaching assistants under the direct supervision of a faculty member.  Labs may award credit in which case students will receive a separate grade.  When labs do not award separate credit from the lecture, they are calculated as part of the lecture course’s grade.
• Studios are taught by faculty, can be taught in small or large sections and have a lecture component that is taught through various pedagogical strategies. Like laboratories, these also provide students with experience in manipulating specialized equipment, other required physical materials, or occur at specific sites. Typical studio courses award 3 credit hours and meet multiple times each week but, like laboratories, may meet for more time than 150 minutes a week. Total meeting time plus expected weekly homework should not exceed 450 total minutes of combined time, excepting programs otherwise directed by their accrediting body.
• Recitations accompany large lecture courses and are composed of smaller groups of students from those lecture courses. Recitations award no credit though lectures may require participation in a recitation and use that as part of the lecture course’s grade. Recitations meet once a week for 50 minutes but are not directly attached to a particular lecture section. Recitations may be taught by teaching assistants.
• Practicum: Experiential credits to be earned in a supervised setting by an appropriately licensed or credentialed professional or a faculty member typically involving interactions with clients. The practicum experiences are mapped to the program learning goals.  On campus practicum will follow the appropriate scheduling guidelines, depending the length and timing of the experience.  Off campus courses will meet on a schedule that reflects the professional setting and may include requirements for specific on-site hours based on the program’s accreditation requirements or programmatic learning outcomes.
• Clinical: Experiential credits to be earned in a supervised clinical setting by an appropriately licensed or credentialed professional, typically involving interactions with patients/clients. The clinical experiences are mapped to the program learning goals.  Typically, clinical courses will meet on a schedule that reflects the working environment of clinical setting and may include requirements for specific on-site hours based on the program’s accreditation requirements or programmatic learning outcomes.

Plan for Numbering Courses

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Catalog Abbreviations

Abbreviations Used in Course Listings

Abbreviation	Description
HR	credit hours per course
Lec	lecture period
Rec	recitation period
Lab	laboratory period
GLAB	graded lab
WEB	web-based course
CONC	concurrent - listed with PR meaning the course may be completed at the same time as enrollment in the course for which it is listed
PR	prerequisite - course must be completed in a term prior to enrollment in the course for which it is listed
Coreq	co-requisite - courses must be taken in the same term
Consent	consent of instructor required
CR	credit but no grade

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Graduate Level Common Course Numbers and Descriptions

All grading is normal unless otherwise specified. All courses are repeatable unless otherwise specified. All courses require instructor or department consent.

590/690/790. Teaching Practicum. 1-3 hr. Supervised practice in college teaching.

593/693/793. Special Topics. 1-6 hr. Study of advanced topics that are not covered in regularly scheduled courses.

595/695/795. Independent Study. 1-9 hr. Faculty-supervised study, reading, or research.

696/796. Graduate Seminar. 1-3 hr. Series of meetings that may include research presentations by students, faculty, or visitors; discussions of professional issues or current literature; or other varying topics.

697/797. Research. 1-9 hr. PR: Consent. Research activities leading to thesis, problem report, research paper,scholarly project, or a dissertation. Grading is S/U.

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In this section:

• Degree Program Credit Limitations
• Credit Hour Definition
• Prior Learning Experience

Degree Program Credit Limitations

Credit toward a graduate degree may be obtained only for courses listed in the graduate catalog and numbered 400–799 (although some professional programs allow credit for lower-level courses). No more than forty percent of course credits counted toward any graduate degree may be at the 400-level. Graduate credit is obtained only for courses in which the grade earned is A, B, C, P or S. Courses taken as audits or courses in which the grade earned is D, F, or U do not count toward a graduate degree.

See Credit Sharing Limitations for Graduate Degrees on the Academic Definitions tab and the Graduate Certificates page for more information on sharing credits between degrees and certificates. 

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Credit Hour Definition

West Virginia University courses offered for credit are based on semester hours. Semesters are fifteen weeks long plus one week for final exams. A single credit hour is equivalent to fifty minutes per week of guided instruction within the classroom. An hour of preparation, or related activity outside of the classroom, is equivalent to sixty minutes per week.

• Full semester lecture:  Fifty minutes (~one hour) of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of 120 minutes of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester hour of credit. 
  • 1 credit over 15 weeks = (1 hour in class per week x15 weeks) + (2 hours of homework per week x 15 weeks) = 45 hours of coursework
  • 3 credits over 15 weeks = (3x15) + (6x15) = 135 hours of coursework
• Part Semester Courses:
  • Courses delivered in a part of term no shorter than 5 weeks long should require an equivalent amount of work
    • 3 credits over 8 weeks = (6 in class per week x 8 weeks) + (11 hours of homework per week x 8 weeks) = 136 hours of course work
  • Courses delivered in a compressed format (typically 4 weeks or less) need not adhere to the definition above but, instead, demonstrate equivalent student outcomes via assessment.
• Full semester non-lecture courses: For other activities as established by an institution, including laboratory work, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours, where outside of class work is very limited, the calculation typically should still reflect the overall hours of coursework for the length of the semester
  • A lab that meets twice a week for 4 hours would have the following calculation:
    3 credits over 15 weeks = (8 hours in lab per week x 15 weeks) + (1 hour outside of class per week x 15 weeks) = 135 hours of coursework

Face-to-Face Classroom Learning

One credit hour is equivalent to one hour of guided instruction (fifty minute class) and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester. The amount of work students engage in remains the same regardless of term duration (e.g., summer, 8 week).  The equivalent amount of work may take place over a different amount of time. One credit hour in other academic activities, as established by the institution, such as laboratory work, internships, practicums, studio work, study abroad, experiential learning opportunities, and online learning, must include an equivalent amount of required work.

Online Learning

One credit hour of online learning is equivalent to a total of fifteen hours of direct instruction and thirty hours of additional student work. Direct instruction can occur via computer-assisted (modules), multi-media interaction, discussions, and/or completion of exams/quizzes/assessments as documented in the course syllabus. Student work includes activities like readings and supplemental assignments. Students must fulfill these hours to complete the course requirements as set forth by the course instructor. Online courses developed from existing face-to-face instruction adhere to the defined learning outcomes and assessments of the original face-to-face format for the course. All WVU online programs are reviewed for nationally accepted standards for online learning.

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning, includes opportunities associated with laboratory/lecture courses, research (with or without laboratory), professional development internships, clinical experiences, and service learning. Three hours of experiential learning per week over a period of fifteen weeks receives one credit hour.  Students are required to document progress during the course and completion of the stated learning objectives for each experience. Experiential learning courses are expected to adhere to and follow the institutional policy for reporting midterm and final grades. All credit-bearing courses require a syllabus. 

Awarding Military Credit

West Virginia University awards college credit for military service listed on a student's Joint Services Transcript (JST). Veterans and current student service members may request credits be articulated in coordination with guidance from their academic advisor and the approval of the Dean of their academic college. Care will be taken to ensure that articulating JST credits is in the student's best academic interest. When approved, WVU will award equivalent course credit. Otherwise, elective credit at the lower (100 level) and upper (300 level) division may be awarded based on the American Council on Education (ACE) recommended credit totals for each ACE ID on a student's JST.

Study Abroad

Study Abroad programs include exchange programs, short-term programs, affiliate programs and other programs that are outside of WVU's pre-approved programs requiring special approval. One credit hour is equivalent to fifteen hours of guided instruction and thirty hours of cultural, linguistic or other types of engagements as described by the syllabus and approved by the faculty, department Chair, Dean, and Associate Provost. Exceptions to this general rule would need to be justified and approved on an individual basis.

Studio/Ensemble Work

In studio courses in the arts, design, and theatre, one credit hour is equivalent to one and a half hours of guided instruction and three hours for studio class practice or projects each week for fifteen weeks as defined by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). In accordance with the National Association of Schools of Music standards, one credit hour of ensemble work in the music field represents three hours of practice each week, on average, for a period of fifteen weeks plus the necessary individual instruction as defined by the major subject.

Variable Credit Offerings

Variable credit courses often represent student experiences that range in credit hours based on the focus and discipline of the experience. Practicums (teaching and research), field experience, research and laboratory rotations and credit, and independent studies offer a range of contact. One credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of guided instruction (e.g., student progress meetings, mentoring) and thirty hours of student work to complete the requirements set forth by the advisor or course instructor (e.g., team meetings, review sessions, thesis/dissertation preparation) over a 15-week period. Instructors/mentors and students should discuss the appropriate number of total credit hours for a given course based on the time needed to attain outcomes of the particular endeavor.

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Prior Learning Experience

In certain cases, and at the discretion of an academic unit, currently enrolled students with documented but untranscripted prior learning experiences such as military training, licensure, software certification, and professional training may seek to receive major specific credit for those experiences.

Students should present documentation to their academic adviser to determine if any previous experiences, prior to enrollment at WVU, may receive transcripted credit in their program and to evaluate the potential benefits and financial aid implications of receiving prior learning credit.