Difference Between Units & Credits

Credits are applied toward an associate, bachelor's or master's degree. Most college classes award students three credits upon their completion. Full-time undergraduate students complete 12 or more credits per semester, whereas full-time graduate students complete nine or more per semester. Continuing education units, or CEUs, applied toward certifications or professional development requirements. One CEU is obtained after an individual completes 10 hours of contact study under a qualified instructor. Noncredit courses and contract training are examples of CEUs. CEUs are designed to enhance knowledge and skills in an individual’s current profession.

Because CEUs are noncredit courses and don't equal the same length of study as credit courses, they cannot be transferred to college credits. Whereas CEUs only require 10 hours of contact study, credits require 40 or more hours of study. For instance, a teacher taking a CEU course in teaching methods might attend the class for two hours every week over the course of five weeks to obtain a unit. A teacher taking a credit in teaching methods, however, might have to attend class three hours every week for 15 weeks. Although CEUs don't require as much contact study or go toward degrees, individuals whose professional portfolios show completion of CEUs might have advantages when seeking job promotions, additional certification and more career opportunities.