SEMESTER HOUR Meaning and
Definition
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A semester hour is a unit of measurement used in educational settings to quantify the amount of time a student spends in an instructional course over the course of a semester. It is commonly employed in colleges and universities to determine credit hours earned by a student. A semester hour typically represents one hour of coursework each week for a full semester, which generally spans 15 weeks of instruction.
The term "semester hour" is primarily used in the United States, while other countries may refer to it as a credit hour or academic credit. The concept of a semester hour allows educational institutions to establish a standardized method for valuing and awarding credits for different courses.
In practice, a traditional semester hour typically requires approximately three hours of additional study outside of class for every hour spent in class. This includes time allocated for reading, research, assignments, group projects, and exam preparation. The accumulation of semester hours is crucial for determining a student's academic progress, GPA (Grade Point Average), and eligibility to meet degree requirements.
The number of semester hours required to complete a degree varies across different institutions and programs, and may range from 120 to 180 semester hours or more. It is essential for students to carefully plan and track their semester hours to ensure they are on track for timely completion of their chosen degree program.
Common Misspellings for SEMESTER HOUR
- aemester hour
- zemester hour
- xemester hour
- demester hour
- eemester hour
- wemester hour
- swmester hour
- ssmester hour
- sdmester hour
- srmester hour
- s4mester hour
- s3mester hour
- senester hour
- sekester hour
- sejester hour
- semwster hour
- semsster hour
- semdster hour
- semrster hour
Etymology of SEMESTER HOUR
The term "semester hour" is commonly used in American universities to refer to the credit hours assigned to a course or class. The etymology can be understood by breaking down the two parts of the term:
1. Semester: The word "semester" originated from the Latin word "semestris" which means "of six months". The Latin term is derived from the combination of "semis" meaning "half" and "tertius" meaning "third". In ancient Rome, the year was divided into two main parts, with each part lasting for six months. Eventually, this division of time was adopted by educational institutions and gave rise to the concept of semesters.
2. Hour: The term "hour" traces its roots back to the ancient Greek word "hṓra" which originally referred to a unit of time. The Greek word was also used to indicate a specific period during which an activity or class took place.
