Credit Hours

College credit hours are earned by students when they spend hours learning a skill or a specific body of knowledge. At IVCC, credit hours are assigned to each course when it is developed. One credit hour is equal to one 50-minute class "hour" per week for a lecture course over a sixteen-week semester. The number of credit hours assigned to a course and required for student attendance are equated, based on the length and method(s) of the course. Credit hour equivalents vary for different types of methods (lecture, lab, field experience, etc.) All courses, including assigned credit hours, are approved by the Illinois Community College Board.