Credit Designation

Strayer University credits are expressed in quarter hours. One quarter hour of credit is the amount of credit granted for the successful completion of 10 contact hours per course. Quarter hours apply to both regular and mini-session courses.

Courses range from 1.5 to 7.0 credits; however, most courses are 4.5 credits. For example, for a 4.5 credit hour course, students are expected to dedicate 13.5 hours per week to course work, encompassing both in-classroom and out-of-classroom activities, regardless of delivery mode. Each week of the quarter includes one hour of classroom or online course activity and at least two hours of outside study or preparation time per credit hour are built into the design of each course. Consequently, a 4.5 quarter credit course amounts to 45 contact hours over the duration of a quarter. Using this formula, Strayer course design meets applicable regulatory standards. This includes preparation, activities and evaluation over the number of weeks in the course.