This policy establishes standards and principles for a systematic approach to assigning credit to courses at Vancouver Community College (VCC; the College).

The traditional academic model for assigning credits assumes that lecture or seminar-based courses require a 1:2 ratio of class time to outside-of-class time.  In this model, a credit is typically calculated based on one hour of class time and two hours of outside-of-class time over a 15 week semester, equalling one credit for 15 hours of in-class time.

Many courses at VCC contain more than one instructional format or have different ratios of class time to outside-of-class time.  Therefore, credits are not always determined solely by the number of class hours.  Instead, credits may be based on an equivalent total amount of learning time (including class time and outside-of-class time).