Casa Loma College follows a semester system consisting of a minimum of 15 weeks. Terms for some academic programs and/or semesters have been adjusted, but nonetheless adhere to the policy in terms of the amount of work required. All semester credit hours awarded by Casa Loma College adhere to federal definitions as defined by the US Department of Education.
- Semester – minimum of 15 weeks in length
- Fifteen (15) hours of lecture per week for one semester credit
- Thirty hours (30) of lab per week for one semester credit
- Forty-five (45) hours of clinical practicum per week for one semester credit
Lecture Classes: Courses which engage in various forms of group instruction under the direct supervision of a faculty member. The minimum contact time (direct instructor-led time) per credit per week is one (50 minute) hour for each credit (1:1 ratio of contact time to credits, per week). In addition, students are assigned two hours of outside work per week for each credit hour of instruction.
Laboratory: Courses with a focus on experiential learning under the direct supervision of a faculty member wherein the student performs substantive work in a laboratory setting. The minimum instructor contact time per credit is twice that of a lecture (2:1 ratio of contact time to credits, per week). Students can expect an additional hour of work outside of class for every hour in the lab.
Externship/Internship: Courses of study in which a faculty member/clinical coordinator regularly interacts and directs student outcomes with periodic contact, but where the actual learning environment takes place off-campus at an approved site. The minimum contact time per credit is thrice that of a lecture (3:1 ratio of contact time to credits, per week).
Out-of-Class Coursework/Outside Preparation Hours: To be successful, the average student will be expected to prepare for each class by engaging in a minimum of two hours (A.S./ B.S. programs) of out-of-class work for each credit hour, or 7.5 hours (A.A.S. programs) of out-of-class work for each credit hour of lecture and laboratory. Toward this end, students are expected to have completed the required assignments and reviewed previous lecture material in addition to completing any of the alternative forms of out-of-class work deemed appropriate by the instructor (term paper, lab work, problem sets, discussion questions, interviews, etc.).
