Converting quarter hours to semester hours

A little bit of math
It may sound like a nightmare, but transfer evaluators really just have to follow a simple formula to convert quarter hours to semester hours:

(number of quarter hours x 2)/3= semester hours

To make this formula sound simpler, it is the number of quarter hours multiplied by two thirds.

For example, a standard quarter class is worth 5 hours, so:

(5x2)/3= 3.33

5 quarter hours is equivalent to 3 semester hours.

You may wonder what happens to the other .33 hours. Sometimes it is used. For example, if a student took the 5 quarter hour class Anatomy and Physiology I at Griffin Technical College (BIO 193), it would transfer to Clayton State University as both Anatomy and Physiology I (BIOL 1151) and Anatomy and Physiology I Lab (BIOL 1151L), which comes to a total of 4 semester hours, the lecture worth 3 and the lab worth 1.

Other times, the value that is produced by the formula is rounded up. If a student takes a course worth 7 quarter hours:

(7x2)/3= 4.66

The student would receive 5 hours of semester transfer credit.

It can be tricky if a student went to a school where the standard quarter hour class is worth 4 hours instead of 5, because 4 quarter hours is equal to only 2.66 semester hours.

In this case, the transfer evaluator must award 3 and 2 semester hours alternately for each class to provide the closest equivalency.

The differences between quarters and semesters
The University System of Georgia converted from a quarter calendar to a semester calendar beginning with the fall semester 1998. Within USG, semesters are about 16 weeks long, and there are 3 of them in an academic year: fall, spring, and a shorter summer session. A quarter is about 10 weeks long, and within an academic year there are 4 of them, which are normally called fall, winter, spring, and summer.

To complete a bachelor’s degree, students must earn 120 hours of semester credit. Under the quarter system, a bachelor’s degree required 185 hours.

To be considered full time, an undergraduate student must enroll in at least 12 hours per semester, which are normally 4 courses worth 3 hours each. Full time status under the quarter system is also 12 hours, but that number is equal to 8 semester hours.

Don’t let the numbers discourage you
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia claims on its Web site that the major advantage of the semester system over the quarter system is that it is less “hectic.”
It depends on individual preference as to whether or not semesters are better than quarters. Some like the shorter terms with longer hours in the classroom, others would prefer to attend a longer term without spending as much time in class each week, but a school’s calendar should not be the determining factor in whether or not a student chooses to attend.

Switching from a quarter calendar to a semester calendar should not defer a student from transferring. Many schools in Georgia that are on a quarter calendar are technical schools that can only offer certificates, diplomas, and associate’s degrees. So if a student really wants to earn a bachelor’s degree, he or she will have to make the switch. It is always possible to discuss any issues a student may have about transfer credits and quarter to semester conversion with an adviser or employee in the registrar’s office.