semester hour

noun

Education.

1. a unit of academic credit fulfilled by completing one hour of class instruction each week for one semester.

Word History and Origins

Origin of semester hour¹

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50

Example Sentences

In 2018, Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings said the department had lowered recruiting standards to eliminate a requirement that applicants to the police academy have an associate’s degree or 54 semester hours of college.

Read more on Washington Post

It also said the Idaho State course credits were worth less — only counting as 0.5 semester hours — in the Fairfax system.

Read more on Washington Post

A bill in the Legislature would allow those with an associate’s degree, or at least 60 undergraduate semester hours, to receive substitute authorization for any grade, instead of the currently required bachelor’s degree.

Read more on Washington Times

The Houston Police Department requires at least 48 semester hours of college credit for prospective officers but a high school diploma or GED is enough in other parts of the state.

Read more on Washington Times

Students will take an average of three years to complete the program, which aligns with a degree in building sciences and will require 62 semester hours of graduate course work beyond a bachelor’s degree.

Read more on Washington Times