Convert quarter hours to semester credits, total multiple quarter courses, or convert semester credit hours back to quarter hours for transfer credit.
Quarter Hour To Credit Hours Formula
The calculator uses a fixed 1.5-to-1 ratio between quarter hours and semester credit hours. This is the standard conversion used by most U.S. universities and accrediting bodies.
Semester Credits = Quarter Hours / 1.5
Quarter Hours = Semester Credits * 1.5
- Quarter Hours: credit value of a course taken on a quarter calendar (about 10 weeks per term).
- Semester Credits: credit value of a course taken on a semester calendar (about 15 weeks per term).
- 1.5: the ratio of semester weeks to quarter weeks (15 / 10).
Assumptions: this conversion reflects instructional time, not grade or course content. Some schools round transferred credits down to the nearest whole or half credit, and a few programs apply different ratios for lab or studio courses. Always confirm with the receiving registrar before relying on a number for a degree audit.
Calculator modes:
- Quarter → Semester: divides your quarter hours by 1.5.
- Course List: sums all quarter values you enter, then divides the total by 1.5 to give a transfer estimate.
- Semester → Quarter: multiplies your semester credits by 1.5 to give the equivalent quarter hours.
Common Conversion Values
Use these tables to spot-check your result or to estimate without typing anything.
| Quarter Hours | Semester Credits | Typical Course |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.67 | 1-credit lab |
| 2 | 1.33 | Short seminar |
| 3 | 2.00 | Elective |
| 4 | 2.67 | Standard lecture |
| 5 | 3.33 | Lecture + lab |
| 45 (1 yr) | 30.00 | Full academic year |
| 180 (degree) | 120.00 | Bachelor’s total |
| Semester Credits | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1.5 |
| 2 | 3.0 |
| 3 | 4.5 |
| 4 | 6.0 |
| 12 (full-time) | 18.0 |
| 120 (degree) | 180.0 |
Examples and FAQ
Example 1: Single course transfer. You took a 4-quarter-hour biology class. 4 / 1.5 = 2.67 semester credits. Most receiving schools record this as 2.67 or round to the nearest hundredth.
Example 2: Full term of courses. A quarter schedule of 5, 4, 4, and 3 quarter hours totals 16 quarter hours. 16 / 1.5 = 10.67 semester credits. That matches a normal full-time semester load.
Example 3: Reverse check. Your new program requires 60 semester credits. 60 × 1.5 = 90 quarter hours needed if you finish at a quarter-system school.
Why 1.5? Semester terms run roughly 15 weeks; quarter terms run roughly 10 weeks. A class that meets the same hours per week earns 1.5 times more credit on a quarter calendar because credit is awarded per contact hour per week of the term.
Will my GPA change? The conversion only changes credit values. Letter grades transfer separately, and many schools do not import the GPA from a previous institution at all.
Can credits get lost in conversion? Yes. A 2-quarter-hour course converts to 1.33 semester credits, and some schools round down to 1.0. Stacking several small courses can cost you a credit or two over a full transcript.
Does this work for graduate programs? The 1.5 ratio is the same. Graduate programs are stricter about which courses transfer at all, so confirm individual course equivalencies with the department.