What is the difference between semester hours and quarter hours

For example, if you have two three-credit courses equaling six quarter-credits, it will convert to 4 semester hours. But, what happens to that forth hour? At a tradition school issuing three credit hour courses, your 6 quarter-credits may gain you credits toward only one course. Understanding quarter credits is also important when you are comparing school program costs.

You have to go beyond looking at the unit credit or hour price. For this reason, to accurately compare costs, calculate the program totals. Or, for budgetary reasons, you may be interested in comparing annual costs. The nicest part of quarter credits, for many, is that you will not linger in a course longer than desired. Obviously this matters a lot when you don't enjoy a class, but there are more important reasons for why shorter course durations are good for you.

Semester hours allow for more in-depth study of a subject as a result of the longer terms. Students may also be able to devote more out-of-class hours to a particular subject with a semester hour system. Additionally, students may feel less pressured with an academic calendar based on semester hours because classes may be scheduled for fewer days per week than with quarter hours. By ending classes in May, semester hour systems allow students to get a jump on the summer job market.

There can be complications for a student who transfers from a school with one academic system to a school using another academic system or students who apply for graduate programs that use different systems from the undergraduate program.

However, most academic institutions have standardized conversion charts they use in computing academic hours when considering a student's transcript. Conversion works along many of the same principles involved as when converting the credits from a foreign transcript to an American university system.

Chris Blank is an independent writer and research consultant with more than 20 years' experience. Blank specializes in social policy analysis, current events, popular culture and travel. On the semester system, students often have to take a certain number of classes per semester to remain full-time for scholarships and other forms of financial aid. Another disadvantage of the semester system is that classes generally carry more GPA weight each term.

Due to this, a student who does poorly in a class one semester will have a hard time improving their cumulative GPA versus a student in a quarter system. Though used less widely than the semester system, attending a college on the quarter system has some serious benefits of its own. One big advantage of the quarter system is that students are taking less classes than students in a semester system.

This smaller number of classes means a lighter workload per student, which can help reduce stress. This also means they have more time and brainpower to prepare for assignments, tests and projects in each of their classes. Having four opportunities per year to take a class gives students a lot of flexibility when it comes to building their schedule each semester. This allows students to experience more classes, make up or retake failed classes, take more elective courses and, overall, receive a well-rounded education.

In fact, a joint study by several universities showed that students on the quarter system take, on average, 18 more credits or about six more classes than their counterparts on the semester system.

This helps students with information recall and retention when they return to classes, which benefits their overall success in college. While the quarter system certainly comes with some advantages, there are other disadvantages that may help inform your choice of whether or not to attend a school on this system.

One of the biggest issues with the semester system being so widely adopted is that many internship schedules are set around fall and spring semesters, not quarters. This could make securing an internship which many majors require more difficult, or even require some students to choose between completing an internship or taking classes one quarter. Studying abroad is something that many college students dream of. However, this is another opportunity that typically runs on the semester schedule; especially if students are taking classes at a partnering university in another country.

Especially when factoring in midterm assignments and final exams, some classes require students to learn the information in as little as eight weeks. This is also expressed as 1. To convert quarter credits to semester credits, divide quarter credits by 1. To convert semester hours to quarter hours, multiply semester credits by 1. The trimester system functions very similarly to the quarter system, but divides the academic year into three sessions rather than four, with trimesters in the spring, fall and winter.

Students take three to four classes per trimester. The trimester system divides the year up into three 11 to 12 week sessions : one in the winter, one in the spring and one in the fall. This is structured similar to the quarter system, except the trimester system gives all students and faculty the summer off. Like the quarter system, students generally take around three to four classes per trimester. Choosing between schools on the quarter or semester system can be tough, as they both have unique advantages and opportunities.

What Is a Semester System? How Long is a Semester?