UCSB PaCE Contact Hour Policy | UCSB Professional and Continuing Education Help Center

UCSB PaCE Contact Hour Policy

Please be sure to follow the UCSB PaCE Contact Hour Policy outlined here.

1. Definition of a Contact Hour

We determine course credit based on the Carnegie Unit. This system measures both direct instruction and the independent work required to achieve academic mastery.

The Academic Hour: One “contact hour” is equivalent to a minimum of 50 minutes of instructor-led or instructor-facilitated instructional activity. For credit calculation purposes, each 50-minute instructional period is credited as one contact hour.
Unit Standard: Each PaCE unit represents approximately 30 hours of total expected student time. For PaCE courses using a 9-contact-hour-per-unit standard, each unit includes 9 instructional/contact hours plus approximately 21 hours of independent student workload.
Total Course Time: Total expected course time includes instructional/contact time, approved instructional equivalents, and independent student workload. For courses offered in compressed, extended, or nonstandard formats, the same total expectations apply, but the weekly distribution may vary based on the approved course schedule.

2. Relationship Between Units, Contact Hours, and Total Course Time

PaCE course units are based on the total expected student time required to complete the course. This total includes instructional/contact time, approved instructional equivalents, and independent student workload.

For PaCE courses using a 9-contact-hour-per-unit standard, each unit requires 9 instructional/contact hours and approximately 30 total hours of expected student time. The remaining expected time consists of independent student workload, such as reading, homework, projects, studying, preparation, and most assessments.

For courses offered in compressed, extended, or nonstandard formats, the same total expectations apply, but the weekly distribution may vary based on the approved course schedule.

Units	Required instructional/contact hours	Expected independent/student workload	Total expected course time
1 unit	9 contact hours	21 hours	30 hours
2 units	18 contact hours	42 hours	60 hours
3 units	27 contact hours	63 hours	90 hours
4 units	36 contact hours	84 hours	120 hours

Example Weekly Distribution for an 11-Week Course:

This table shows an approximate weekly distribution for courses offered over 11 weeks. Courses offered in compressed, extended, or nonstandard formats should use the total course-time requirements above and distribute hours across the approved schedule.

Units	Approx. instructional/contact time per week	Approx. independent/student workload per week	Approx. total weekly time
1 unit	~45 minutes	~2 hours	~3 hours
2 units	~1.5 hours	~4 hours	~5.5 hours
3 units	~2 hours	~6 hours	~8 hours
4 units	~3 hours	~8 hours	~11 hours

Contact Hour Activities

These activities occur during scheduled class time or serve as the equivalent of class time in an asynchronous course. Students receive instruction or participate in a structured learning activity directed by the instructor.

Examples include:

Live or recorded instructor-led lessons
Guided readings with instructor-provided questions, prompts, or activities
Discussion boards facilitated by the instructor
Knowledge checks, labs, simulations, and group activities completed as part of the structured course experience
Activities that include instructor guidance, evaluation, or feedback

NOT Considered Contact Hour Activities

These activities are completed outside scheduled class time and do not serve as the equivalent of class time in an asynchronous course. Students complete them independently to prepare, study, practice, or work on an assignment.

Examples include:

Independent reading or research
Studying or reviewing course materials
Preparing for quizzes or exams
Independent practice or problem sets
Drafting or completing essays, projects, or other assignments independently
Informal networking
Observing an activity without accompanying instruction or interaction

3. Standards by Delivery Mode

A. In-Person Classes

Calculation: In-person courses meet the total instructional/contact-hour expectations for the units awarded through scheduled in-person instructional activity. Contact hours are calculated using actual scheduled instructional time and the academic-hour conversion.
Countable Activities: Lectures, seminars, labs, and supervised field work.

B. Online Synchronous Classes

Calculation: Online synchronous courses meet the total instructional/contact-hour expectations for the units awarded through scheduled live online instructional activity. Live online meetings count 1:1 toward instructional/contact hours when they are required, instructor-led or instructor-facilitated, and aligned with course outcomes.
Countable Activities: Live webinars, real-time breakout discussions, Synchronous lectures and discussions, Synchronous group activities, and live proctored exams.

C. Hybrid Classes

Calculation: Hybrid courses include required planned in-person instructional activity and required online instructional activity, which may include live online meetings, asynchronous instructional activities, or both. Hybrid courses should generally include a meaningful balance of in-person and online instructional activity, with approximately half of the instructional/contact hours delivered in person unless a different distribution is approved. The course must meet the total instructional/contact-hour expectations for the units awarded. The instructor may propose the distribution of in-person, live online, and asynchronous instructional activities, but the schedule and instructional format must be reviewed and approved by PaCE Programming before publication. Hybrid formats with limited in-person instructional time may be approved when there is a clear academic, pedagogical, programmatic, or student-service rationale. Any later change to the delivery mode or instructional distribution must also be approved in advance.
Countable Activities: Countable activities may include scheduled in-person instruction, live online instruction, instructor-led discussions, labs, workshops, supervised field activities, recorded instructor lectures, instructor-guided modules, instructor-facilitated discussion forums, interactive learning activities, applied case studies, simulations, knowledge checks, or other required instructional activities aligned with course outcomes.

D. Asynchronous Classes

Calculation: Calculated via Equivalency. Asynchronous courses meet instructional/contact-hour expectations through approved instructional equivalents. Equivalency is based on a reasonable estimate of the time a typical student would need to complete required instructional activities, considering activity type, media length where applicable, expected student output, activity complexity, instructor role, and alignment with course outcomes.
Countable Activities: Countable activities may include recorded instructor lectures, instructor-guided modules, instructor-facilitated discussions, interactive lessons, applied case studies, simulations, knowledge checks, or other required instructional activities aligned with course outcomes.

4. Additional Policy Requirements

Substantive Interaction: For all online modes, contact hours must involve "regular and substantive interaction" between students and the instructor.
Syllabus Transparency: Syllabi and course notes must state the expected time commitment, including scheduled instructional/contact hours, required online or asynchronous instructional activity, and independent student workload. Any instructional/contact hours completed outside scheduled live meetings must be clearly communicated to students.
Academic Oversight: All course schedules, and any subsequent changes to delivery modes, unit values, or online/in-person ratios, must be reviewed and approved by PaCE Programming.

5. Special Cases

PaCE Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and/or Instructional Developer and /or Program Manager needs to be consulted in advance for any special cases outside the above guidelines.