Curriculum Hours Calculator Formula

Understand the math behind the curriculum hours calculator. Each variable explained with a worked example.

Use the Curriculum Hours Calculator

Formulas Used

Total Curriculum Hours

total_hours = num_courses * weekly_per_course * weeks

Weekly Contact Hours

weekly_hours = num_courses * weekly_per_course

Hours per Course

hours_per_course = weekly_per_course * weeks

Variables

VariableDescriptionDefault
num_coursesNumber of Courses8
hours_per_sessionHours per Session1.5
sessions_per_weekSessions per Week (per course)2
weeksWeeks in Term16
weekly_per_courseDerived value= hours_per_session * sessions_per_weekcalculated

How It Works

How to Calculate Curriculum Hours

Total instructional hours measure the amount of contact time in a program.

Formula

Total Hours = Courses x Hours per Session x Sessions per Week x Weeks

Standards

  • One credit hour = 15-16 contact hours per semester
  • A 3-credit course = ~48 contact hours
  • Full-time semester (15 credits) = ~240 contact hours

    • Worked Example

    8 courses, 1.5 hours per session, 2 sessions/week, 16 weeks.

    num_courses = 8hours_per_session = 1.5sessions_per_week = 2weeks = 16
    1. 01Weekly per course = 1.5 x 2 = 3 hours
    2. 02Weekly total = 8 x 3 = 24 hours
    3. 03Hours per course = 3 x 16 = 48 hours
    4. 04Total curriculum = 8 x 3 x 16 = 384 hours

    Ready to run the numbers?

    Open Curriculum Hours Calculator