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Comparison of Quarter to Semester System

  Credit Hours for Graduation Full Load Per Session Weeks Per Session Total Sessions Per Year School Weeks Per Year

Comparison of Quarter System to Semester System
Quarter Hours 192 16 11 3 33
Semester Hours 128 16 16+ 2 33

Graduation requirements in terms of amount of study are typically the same for a quarter system and a semester system. To graduate from PUC in four years without summer school attendance, you will need to average 16 hours each quarter.

  • Four years X three quarters X sixteen hours per quarter = (4 X 3 X 16) = 192.

One semester hour equals 1.5 quarter hours or 1 quarter hour equals .6667 semester hours. To convert semester hours into quarter hours divide the quarter credit hours by 1.5 or multiply the semester credit hours by .6667. To convert quarter hours into semester hours multiply the semester hours by 1.5. Typical graduation requirements are 192 quarter hours under a quarter system and 128 semester units under a semester system.

  • 192 quarter credits divided by 1.5 = 128 semester credits.
  • 128 semester credits multiplied by 1.5 = 192 quarter credits.

Calculate Quarter System to Semester System

If you would like to convert the quarter system to the semester system, or the semester system to the quarter system, please use the form below.

Quarter Hours:   Semester Hours:

What Does a 16 Credit Hour Load Usually Mean?

Attend classes usually for a total of 16, 50 minute periods per week. Study for classes a total of about 32 hours per week, or 2 hours study for each hour in class. Most classes are 3-4 credit hours, but some are 1, 2, or 5 credit hours.

  • A 3 credit hour class usually meets for 3, 50 minute periods per week, but it might meet once a week for about 3 hours.
  • A 4 credit hour class usually meets for 4, 50 minute periods per week.
  • A laboratory that meets each week during the quarter for a 3 hour lab usually gets 1 hour of credit.