Earning your degree as an adult learner comes with many questions and considerations. How many credits you need to graduate college may be a big one, especially if you’ve already completed some courses or have several years of work experience in your field of study.
Here’s how to find out how many credits you need as you continue your college search journey.
Calculating How Many Credits to Graduate College
A college credit is the estimated time it takes to complete a course. Often, that means at least one hour of instruction each week, along with about two hours of work or studying outside of the classroom. Credits are typically spread across:
- General Education
- Major-specific Courses
- Electives
If you’ve taken college courses before or completed some years of work or training, you may be able to transfer those into earned credits towards your degree. These transferred credits could lower the number of classes you need, which translates to time and money saved as you work towards graduation.
Determining how many credits to graduate college based on your specific situation may be easier than you think, especially with the support of a university like Athens State behind you.
Step 1: Research credit requirements for your program.
As you research institutions and programs, be sure you understand the graduation requirements for your chosen school and, more specifically, for your major. For example, most bachelor’s degree programs at Athens State require 124 credits to graduate.
Search for credit requirements on your selected university’s website and its department page for your major to understand exactly how many credits you would need to earn your degree at that institution.
Step 2: Explore your school’s credit transfer policies.
Once you know how many credits you need to graduate, review your school’s credit transfer policies. Most schools will accept credits you’ve previously earned toward your degree, depending on:
- The degree you’re pursuing
- Your completed courses
- The course requirements for your major
Some colleges and universities even allow you to apply your past work experience as credits toward your degree. For example, Athens State offers a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) to help you make the most of the experience you’ve gained so far.
Our PLA process translates your prior experiences into credits to graduate college, focusing on details like:
- Previous employment
- Certifications
- Military training and service
- Civic activities
- Volunteer service
Step 3: Use our Credit Predictor tool to calculate your credits.
For a more accurate view of the credits you specifically need to graduate college, explore resources like Athens State Credit Predictor tool. It uses details like your employment history and volunteer experience to determine how many credits you’ve already earned toward your degree and how many you need to graduate.
While the results aren’t final, it’s a useful starting point to determine how many credits you need to graduate college as you plan your return to school.
Step 4: Talk to your admissions counselor.
The most important thing to remember is that you don’t have to figure everything out alone. Athens State’s Adult Learner Services Office (ALSO) provides one-on-one guidance to help navigate your journey and determine exactly what you need to complete your degree.
Your degree is waiting.
Knowing how many credits to graduate college is one more step to completing your degree. With Athens State by your side, we’ll help you take the guesswork out of your admissions process for an easy transition back to school.
Explore our Adult Learner Services Office (ALSO) to learn more ways we can help you earn your degree on your terms.