All college classes are not created equal. To put it another way, some carry more weight than others because different courses require different amounts of work.

Credit for a Northwest course may range from .5 to 5 credits. There is a loose connection between the number of credits and the length of time a course meets. Because of this, the terms "credits" and "hours" are often used interchangeably. A 3 credit course is the same thing as a 3 hour course.

Here are some examples of how class credit varies with different types of courses. Note: these examples are generalizations meant to provide an overview of how credit varies.