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How Many Credits Do You Need to Graduate College?

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Typically, a bachelor's degree requires 120 college credits鈥攂ut it's not always that simple. Here's how to parse through credit requirements.

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The total number of credit hours you need to graduate college will depend on the degree you are seeking and the specific university you attend. Generally, a bachelor鈥檚 degree will require a minimum of 120 credits, an associate degree will require at least 60 credits, and a master鈥檚 degree will require anywhere from 30 to 60 credits.

Typically, a school鈥檚 accreditation body will determine the minimum credit requirements for a degree program. However, individual universities may decide to raise their total credit requirements for some or all degree programs.

Additionally, schools will likely have further requirements regarding credit hours, including a number of credits earned through the core curriculum, a number of credits earned through a declared major curriculum, and a number of credits earned 鈥渋n residence,鈥 or earned at your school as opposed to transferring credits from other universities.

What is a college credit hour?

A college credit hour is an estimation of the time spent on coursework for a class. One credit hour equates to one hour of instruction per week plus an expectation of two hours of work outside of class. Many undergraduate college courses are typically three or four credit hours. Credit hours are used both in determining your grade point average (GPA), along with your final grade, and in determining eligibility for federal financial aid.

The total number of credit hours you take per semester will determine your status as a full-time or part-time student. Generally, taking less than 12 credit hours per semester鈥攖ypically, fewer than four classes鈥攓ualifies as part-time status, while full-time students will take at least 12 credits鈥攆our or more classes鈥攑er semester.

How many college credits is a bachelor鈥檚 degree?

Most bachelor鈥檚 degree programs require 120 college credits. At a four-year institution granting an average of three credits per class, that鈥檚 five classes per semester.

Many institutions require more than 120 credit hours to graduate, with some programs exceeding 140 total credit hours. This difference may be based on the individual degree program. For example, education programs and engineering programs may require additional credits, or it may be due to the way universities assign credits to their courses.

Core credit requirements

Beyond the total number of credits earned, a bachelor鈥檚 degree will likely require a certain number of credits earned in specific areas: core courses鈥攐r the general education courses required of all students鈥攁nd major courses specific to your desired area of study.

Each university can set its own core curriculum credit requirements, so the total number of core credits required will vary. You can anticipate fulfilling up to half of your required credits on the core curriculum. (Some states have laws governing the inclusion of specific coursework, and others don鈥檛.) Often, the core curriculum will include courses on:

  • Writing

  • Foreign language

  • Arts and humanities

  • Social sciences

  • Science

  • Math

Because the core curriculum is required of all students, some institutions expect students to complete these requirements in the first two years, sometimes before declaring a major. This approach helps keep students on track to graduate within the targeted four years and allows them to explore a range of study topics before committing to one major.

Major credit requirements

Once you do decide upon a major鈥攐ften declared during the second year of college鈥攜ou鈥檒l be able to start working toward your major credit requirements. Requirements vary by school and by department. However, many major requirements will fulfill between one-third and one-half of your total required credit hours.

Elective requirements

Beyond core and major curricula, you can fulfill the rest of your credit requirements by taking elective courses鈥攐r courses outside of your core and major requirements that sound interesting to you鈥攐r by picking up a double major or minor. A double major means you fulfill all of the major requirements for two majors, while a minor means you鈥檝e completed a shorter series of coursework in a given subject area.

Tip: How to figure out how many credits you need to graduate

For a complete breakdown of your school鈥檚 credit requirements, search 鈥済raduation requirements鈥 or 鈥渄egree requirements鈥 on your university鈥檚 website. Beyond core and major credits, you may find requirements such as a minimum GPA or time limitations.

Once you have decided on your major, you can likely locate your major requirements by searching 鈥渕ajor requirements鈥 on your department鈥檚 website. If you are planning to major in psychology, for example, go to the psychology department鈥檚 website and search 鈥渕ajor requirements.鈥 There, you should see a list of core and elective courses and credit requirements specific to your major.

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How many credits is an associate degree?

Associate degree programs commonly require 60 credits鈥攈alf of the credits required of a bachelor鈥檚 degree program鈥攈owever, some associate degree programs require over 80 credits. Generally, it takes about two years to earn an associate degree on a full-time schedule.

This wide range of total credit requirements is primarily attributed to the intention of the program. Liberal arts associate degrees tend to require closer to 60 credit hours. These programs are often used as a vehicle to transfer into a bachelor鈥檚 degree program and aim to fulfill many of the general education requirements.聽

However, vocational associate degree programs tend to require a higher number of credit hours as they are designed to lead toward a specific job with no further schooling, such as a cosmetologist, dental hygienist, or veterinary assistant.

How many credits for a master鈥檚 degree?

A master鈥檚 degree will generally require anywhere from 30 to 60 credits, but can require even more depending on the specific master鈥檚 degree you seek. Along with this variation, master鈥檚 degree programs tend to take between one and two years to complete if you鈥檙e attending full-time.

Master鈥檚 degree programs often have additional graduation requirements beyond total credit hours. Many require successful completion of a thesis, capstone, or another culminating project.

To determine the total number of credit hours required for your master鈥檚 degree, search 鈥済raduation requirements鈥 on your program鈥檚 website.

Can you transfer credits into a degree program?

If you've already earned college credits in the past, you may be able to transfer your credits into a degree program. Depending on the degree you're working toward, the specific courses you took, and your school's course requirements, you may be able to apply those credits to fulfill a portion of your core or elective credit requirements.

To determine whether your previously earned credits can fulfill a portion of your graduation requirements, start by searching for your school's transfer policies on their official website or contact your academic advisor.

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If you鈥檝e already earned some college credits, you may want to look into the Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences from the University of North Texas. You could enter the program with up to 90 transfer credit hours, saving time and money as you pursue your bachelor鈥檚 degree.

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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.