About Distance Learning
The University of North Florida offers several online degrees and certificates, as well as hundreds of distance learning course sections each semester to meet the needs of our students. These courses employ the best pedagogical practices based on the existing research literature and are designed to promote high levels of student interaction and engagement.
Online Program Development
Are you part of an academic department looking to launch or expand an online program?
The definition of the credit hour for a traditional course is articulated in Academic Affairs policy 2.0810P.
For the purposes of course scheduling, a credit hour is represented in terms of contact minutes or contact hours, and direct instruction is operationalized as scheduled classroom contact. The amount of in-person scheduled classroom contact determines the appropriate course delivery method designation and how courses are coded in the course schedule.
This table can be used to assist faculty and course schedulers in determining the appropriate delivery method designation of a course. The table applies to lecture, discussion, and seminar classes, but not to lab classes.
Course Delivery Method by Scheduled Contact Hours
|
Credit Hours
Contact Minutes and Hours |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instructional Method (Banner Code) |
Campus Code | 1 credit hour 750 mins (12.5 hours) |
2 credit hours 1500 mins (25 hours) |
3 credit hours 2250 mins (37.5 hours) |
4 credit hours 3000 mins (50 hours) |
| SCHEDULED IN-PERSON MEETINGS | |||||
| Standard (S) | Main Campus (MC) | > 7 hrs | > 13 hrs | > 20 hrs | > 26 hrs |
| Hybrid (M) 20% - 50% required in-person meetings |
Hybrid (HYB) | 3 - 7 hrs | 5 - 13 hrs | 8 - 20 hrs | 11 - 26 hrs |
| Primarily Online (PO) < 20% required in-person meetings |
Distance Learning (DL) | < 3 hrs | < 5 hrs | < 8 hrs | < 11 hrs |
| Online/DL (OL) | Distance Learning (DL) or Online (OL) |
none | |||
| SCHEDULED ONLINE MEETINGS | |||||
| Live Online (LO) | Distance Learning (DL) | > 7 hrs | > 13 hrs | > 20 hrs | > 26 hrs |
| Instructional Method: Standard (S) Campus Code: Main Campus (MC) |
||
|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Contact Mins & Hrs | SCHEDULED IN-PERSON MEETINGS |
| 1 credit hour | 750 mins (12.5 hours) | > 7 hrs |
| 2 credit hours | 1500 mins (25 hours) | > 13 hrs |
| 3 credit hours | 2250 mins (37.5 hours) | > 20 hrs |
| 4 credit hours | 3000 mins (50 hours) | > 26 hrs |
| Instructional Method: Hybrid (M) Campus Code: Hybrid (HYB) 20% - 50% required in-person meetings
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Contact Mins & Hrs | SCHEDULED IN-PERSON MEETINGS |
| 1 credit hour | 750 mins (12.5 hours) | 3 - 7 hrs |
| 2 credit hours | 1500 mins (25 hours) | 5 - 13 hrs |
| 3 credit hours | 2250 mins (37.5 hours) | 8 - 20 hrs |
| 4 credit hours | 3000 mins (50 hours) | 11 - 26 hrs |
| Instructional Method: Primarily Online (OL) Campus Code: Distance Learning (DL) < 20% required in-person meetings
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Contact Mins & Hrs | SCHEDULED IN-PERSON MEETINGS |
| 1 credit hour | 750 mins (12.5 hours) | < 3 hrs |
| 2 credit hours | 1500 mins (25 hours) | < 5 hrs |
| 3 credit hours | 2250 mins (37.5 hours) | < 8 hrs |
| 4 credit hours | 3000 mins (50 hours) | < 11 hrs |
| Instructional Method: Fully Online (OL) Campus Code: Distance Learning (DL) or Online (OL) |
||
|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Contact Mins & Hrs | SCHEDULED IN-PERSON MEETINGS |
| 1 credit hour | 750 mins (12.5 hours) | none |
| 2 credit hours | 1500 mins (25 hours) | |
| 3 credit hours | 2250 mins (37.5 hours) | |
| 4 credit hours | 3000 mins (50 hours) | |
| Instructional Method: Live Online (LO) Campus Code: Distance Learning (DL) |
||
|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Contact Mins & Hrs | SCHEDULED ONLINE MEETINGS |
| 1 credit hour | 750 mins (12.5 hours) | > 7 hrs |
| 2 credit hours | 1500 mins (25 hours) | > 13 hrs |
| 3 credit hours | 2250 mins (37.5 hours) | > 20 hrs |
| 4 credit hours | 3000 mins (50 hours) | > 26 hrs |