What does $500 per credit hour mean when applying as an international student to an American university?

Question

I want to apply to an American university when I have finished my undergraduate degree in the UK to study a Masters. I have been looking at the application forms and have 2 queries.

1) Tutition fees: It says $500 per credit hour. Have no idea what this means.

2) Credits. In total my UK degree will give me 360 credits, how do I translate this into the American system? Also on the website, it says the Masters requirments are 30-36 credits and seem to be numbered really oddly!!!

HELP!!!!

Thanks everybody xx

Answer 1

Just to clear up your confusion; the complete title is 'Per Credit Hour.

A course which requires 30-36 credit hours is going to cost you between $15,000 and $18,000 for the entire course. What this figure does not include however is the cost of living (rent, food, utilities etc), insurance, text books, school supplies, transportation etc. All of these will need to be included in your total budget.

You say that it is 'numbered oddly' - what do you mean? If you wish to contact me directly then feel free to do so and I will go over the information with you so that you are clear.

Answer 2

It is the cost to take the class. If the class is a 3 credit class it will cost you $1500. Just multiply the hours of the classs credit by $500.

Answer 3

A credit hour is the amount of time that you spend in class each week.  If it's a 3 credit class, that means you spend 3 hours PER WEEK in the classroom, which gives you the 3 credit hours.

Most graduate students take 9-12 credit hours per semester.  Undergraduates take between 12-18 credit hours per semester (that's because undergraduate courses are a lot easier and require less reading).

How do you translate 360 credits into the American system?  Just look at how many classes you took.  Generally, if you take a full semester class, it will translate into a 3 credit class.  So if you took 3 classes that lasted all year, that would be 6 classes (because we count by semester, not by year), and each would be 3 credits most likely, which would give you 18 credits.

You say that the courses are numbered really oddly.  Are these just the course numbers?  Every university has their own numbering system for their courses.

$500 per credit hour, multiplied by 30 credits, is $15,000.  $500 per credit hour, multiplied by 36 credits, is $18,000.  My guess is that the 36 credit option includes a thesis.

Hope this helps!

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Edited to add:  I'm sorry, a 3-credit course gives you 3 hours in the classroom per WEEK.  I left that off initially.  Most US colleges have a 14-week semester, which would mean 42 hours in the classroom per class (or 420 hours for 10 classes of 3 credits each).