Do you have questions about what constitutes a High School credit? It is very important to ensure that your student is completing the correct amount of coursework to earn their Homeschool High School Diploma and have a well-rounded Homeschool High School Transcript. Let's break down how credits are calculated for a transcript.
Half Credit | One Credit | Tracking Time for Carnegie Units
| How Many Credits Should He/She Complete? |
1 Semester Class These are usually given for Electives, Government/Civics/Economics/PE/ Fine Arts Courses.
60 hours of course study | Complete at least 75% of a textbook.* | You do not have to track every minute of study (unless it benefits your student). | Work together to come up with a plan to cover 20-30 high school credits before graduation. It is very important to plan your child’s high school career according to their post High School plans. |
| 1 Semester-long class at a community college | Planning tip: Calculate 120- 150 hours year per divided by how many weeks there are in your school year. This will tell you how many hours per week your student must study the subject. | For students who will not be going to college, make sure that you meet your state’s requirements for a High School Diploma. Note that many states do not have minimum requirements for Homeschoolers. |
| 1 year-long online high school course | Break down how much time they should spend each day on the subject. | For students who are college bound, ensure that they complete 24-28 credits.
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| 1 semester-long course through a college | For example: 150 hours/36 week school year = 4.16 hours of study per week.
| For students who want to go to a highly competitive college, they should complete 26-30 credits.
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| Complete 120-150 hours of study (year-long academic course) | For a Science class with a lab, complete 180 hours (150 hours of course work + 30 hours of lab work.) | Always check with the colleges that your student is interested in, in order to see what they require for admission and create your plan accordingly to meet those requirements. |
| * If you are in doubt about how to award credits based on a textbook you are using contact the publisher and ask them how many credits they have assigned to the course. | | |
This is a quick look at how to calculate credits however, there are many situations that you might have questions about. What about dual enrollment or AP classes or apprenticeships or intensive music/art/sports? How can you be sure that your student is prepared for whatever college they desire to attend? Utilize our Transcript Review Service, Curriculum Planning, Official Transcript Service, Homeschool Coaches, explore our blog, listen to our podcast, follow us on Pinterest, join our private Facebook group, and much more! We exist to serve you!