unit
About credits (credit system / what is a credit / number of credits / recognition of previously acquired credits / recognition of credits for studying abroad at partner universities and accredited universities)
Credit system
The credit system is a system in which students must earn a certain number of credits within the time limit for enrollment in order to graduate. This is extremely strict, and students cannot graduate if they are missing even one credit. The number of credits required for graduation is determined by each faculty and department. For details, please refer to the graduation requirements in the "Course Guide (Course Registration Guide)" of each faculty.
What are units?
A credit is a quantitative representation of the results of learning. When a teacher determines that a student has passed a course based on attendance, regular and regular exams, reports, and other learning results that the teacher deems necessary, a certain number of credits are awarded.
Number of credits
The number of credits is determined for each course, and the calculation method varies depending on the type of class.
Regulations based on the University Establishment Standards
Standard for 1 unit = "content requiring 45 hours of study"
Credit calculation method at Aoyama Gakuin University
| Lectures and seminars | 1 unit = 15-30 class hours |
| Experimental, practical, and intensive courses (sports, etc.) | 1 unit = 30-45 class hours |
- Taking a 15-hour lecture course (1 credit) as an example, it is stipulated that 1 credit requires "content that necessitates 45 hours of study," meaning that 30 hours of self-study outside of class time is assumed. Here, "1 hour" refers to 45 minutes of class time. Since a class period at Aoyama Gakuin University is 90 minutes long, for credit calculation purposes, one class period equals "2 hours of class."
In a semester-long course
15 weeks x 2 hours = 30 hours = 2 units
This is the result.
Actual Units
| Half-year courses (Courses available only in the first or second semester) |
Completed in 15 weeks ?2 credits for lecture courses ?2 credits or 1 credit for seminar courses ?1 unit for experiments, training, and practical subjects |
| Year-round courses (Subjects taught throughout the year) |
Completed in 30 weeks ?4 credits for lecture courses ?4 or 2 credits for seminar courses ?2 credits for experimental, practical, or skill subjects |
Recognition of previously acquired credits
Newly enrolled first-year students who have already earned credits at other universities or junior colleges prior to Aoyama Gakuin University this university and wish to have those credits recognized should submit the necessary documents to the academic affairs office at their campus during the designated period (from the day after the entrance ceremony to the start of the first semester). Credits will be recognized according to the standards of each faculty and department. The total number of credits recognized as previously earned credits, and credits recognized through exchange programs, etc., after enrollment, must not exceed 60 credits (see Article 42 of the University Regulations). This application is only possible in the year of enrollment and cannot be applied for in subsequent years.
For students who have
transferred to a different faculty or department, credits for subjects deemed appropriate by each faculty or department from among the credits they have earned up to that point will be recognized. Please submit the necessary documents to the academic affairs office at your campus within the designated period (as indicated in the documents distributed during the enrollment process).
Credit recognition for studying abroad at partner and accredited schools
If you study abroad through a partner university or accredited university, you can follow the prescribed procedures after returning home and have the credits you earned abroad recognized according to the standards of each faculty or department. The total number of credits recognized as previously acquired credits and the number of credits recognized through exchange programs after enrollment must not exceed 60 credits (see Article 42 of the University Regulations). However, if you are seeking to obtain a teaching license, the credits for the recognized subjects will not be certified as credits toward obtaining a teaching license.