<P> Various types of student aid and certain student visas require students to take and complete a minimum number of course credits each term . Schools often require a minimum number or percentage of credits be taken at the school to qualify for a diploma from that school--this is known as a residency requirement . </P> <P> Credit by examination, also known as credit by exam, is a way of receiving course credit without taking the course . This grade often shows as a "K" on a transcript, however it carries no credit hours, and therefore has no effect on the GPA . This also means that a student often must take other classes instead, to meet minimum hour requirements . This still benefits the student, because he or she can learn something new and useful, instead of repeating what is already known . DANTES and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) are two programs that offer college bound students credit by examination . </P> <P> Faculty in comprehensive or baccalaureate colleges and universities typically have 12 SCH per semester . Faculty teaching significant graduate work or large classes (100 or more students in a section) may have "load lifts" or "course reductions ." Faculty at research universities typically have an official teaching load of 12 SCH per semester, but their actual load is reduced because of the requirement for significant peer reviewed published research . While faculty workloads are almost universally based on the number of SCH taught, faculty teaching in technical "clock hour" programs in technical and community colleges have workloads that more closely resemble high school teaching, so that Faculty in community colleges typically teach 15 SCH or more per semester (5 days per week at 3 hours per day). </P> <P> In Canada, the term college often refers to a community college or trade school, whilst the more formal and inclusive term for post-high school education is post-secondary education . Most university courses run from September to April with 13 weeks before Christmas and 13 weeks after . Classes that meet three hours a week are generally awarded 6 credit hours . 3rd and 4th year classes are more specialized so some facilities may offer half courses that run from September to December or January to April . These courses are awarded 3 credit hours . In some provinces, such as Ontario, a different system is used . The school year is often broken into two semesters . A single semester class is worth 1 / 2 a credit, and a full year course is worth a full credit . A normal class load consists of five to six classes a semester, which leads to five - six credits being accumulated each school year . </P>

How many credit hours are in a semester of college