* The type of instruction: A lecture course requires less direct instructor time per student than a small seminar or lab.
* The level of the course: A graduate-level course might involve more intensive individual student interaction than an introductory undergraduate course.
* The institution's policies: Different universities have different standards for credit hour equivalency. Some are more precise than others.
* The instructor's workload: Credit hours often include preparation time, grading, administrative tasks, and advising, in addition to in-class instruction.
While some institutions might use a 1 credit hour = 1 hour of instruction per week guideline, this is a gross simplification and inaccurate in most cases. A more realistic expectation is that a single credit hour represents considerably more than just one hour of classroom teaching. A common approximation is that one credit hour translates to 1-3 hours of *total* faculty time per week (including teaching, preparation, grading, and other related tasks). But this is still just a range, and some courses may demand far more.