Quarter to Semester Conversion FAQs

There are a number of reasons. More than 90 percent of colleges and universities in the United States operate on a semester calendar, including most of SCC’s top transfer schools such as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. When SCC’s semester calendar aligns with four-year colleges and universities, students will have an easier time being concurrently enrolled in both institutions. The semester calendar also will better align with the academic calendar followed by Nebraska high schools. A semester calendar also provides a longer time for students to absorb course material, and many textbooks are written for a term longer than a quarter.

Typically, when converting from quarter credit hours to semester hours, quarter hours are divided by 1.5 to calculate semester values. Each quarter credit hour is equivalent to two-thirds of a semester credit hour. SCC programs are determining how the credit hours will be assigned to particular courses in their new curriculum plan.

The conversion from quarters to semesters will not disrupt your academic progress or increase your time to graduation if you follow the plan developed by an advisor.

Calendar Conversion Students are students who began their certificate, diploma or degree under the quarter calendar system but will finish under the semester calendar. If you expect to graduate before August 2019 or enroll at SCC beginning August 2019 or later, you are not a Calendar Conversion Student.

Your existing credits will be converted from quarter to semester credits. You will review your degree plan with an advisor.

GPAs will not be affected by the conversion from quarters to semesters.

Southeast Community College remains accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Career/technical programs also maintain their current program accreditations.

Withdrawal and refund policies for semesters will be adapted to ensure consistency with quarter calendar policies. The dates for withdrawals and refunds will change based on the semester schedule.

SCC accepts transfer credits from both quarter and semester institutions based on the equivalency of course content.

Transfer of credit to other institutions is determined by the institution evaluating the credit.