Programs of Study, Courses and Credits

Each student is registered in a program of study such as Business Administration or Computer Science: such programs of study are also referred to as majors. Each program consists of courses which must be completed in order for a student to graduate. Each program of study leads to an academic qualification from the American College. In order to graduate from such a program a minimum number of credits must be completed. 

A credit, often referred to as “semester hour” or “credit hour”, is the unit of credit awarded upon satisfactory completion of a course. Most courses at the American College carry 3 credits and consist of three 55-minute sessions per week during a semester. The courses of a program of study are usually separated in different groups such as Major courses (i.e. the specialized courses that constitute the backbone of their program), General Education courses etc. The credit requirements of a program of study specify how many credits must be earned from each group of courses in order for a student to graduate. 

The courses each student must take in a semester are determined by the requirements of the student's program of study and the courses' prerequisites. A course with a prerequisite can only be taken once the course(s) set as a prerequisite have been successfully completed by the student.