* Credits: A credit represents a unit of academic work. The number of credits a course is worth usually reflects the expected workload, including class time, homework, studying, and projects. A 3-credit course generally requires significantly more work than a 1-credit course. The total number of credits you earn over your college career determines your degree. For example, a bachelor's degree might require 120 credits.
* Contact hours: This refers to the amount of time you're directly interacting with the instructor and/or other students in a classroom or lab setting. A 5-credit course might have 5 contact hours per week (or it might have fewer, with the remaining work spread across assignments, readings, etc.). The relationship between credits and contact hours isn't standardized across all institutions. Some colleges might have a 1:1 ratio (1 credit = 1 contact hour per week), while others use different ratios or don't explicitly specify contact hours.
Therefore, "5 credits and contact hours" indicates a course that's worth 5 credits toward your degree. The number of contact hours isn't specified, but it's likely related to the 5 credits, though the exact relationship depends on the specific college and course. It could mean anywhere from a few contact hours per week (with lots of independent work) up to 5 (or even more in some cases).