Measuring students' learning load is an effort to optimize student performance and at the same time maintain student wellbeing. With a learning load that is neither too heavy nor too small, learning will be optimal. The study load for each course needs to be researched, as well as the overall study load for each course each semester.



The MPEE curriculum has 22 courses intended to be completed over four semesters. This survey focused on three aspects: 1) Class contact hours, 2) Completion of Structured Assignments, and 3) Completion of Independent Study. The measurement criteria are based on Education and Culture Ministerial Decree Number 3/2020, which outlines the national standards for higher education, including student workload (SWL) requirements. According to the decree, one credit equals 50 minutes of class contact hours, 60 minutes of structured assignments, and 60 minutes of independent study.

The quality assurance office carried out a survey on SWL for all 22 courses in MPEE. The survey results show that 19 courses (88%) are considered to meet the standard for class contact hours and student workloads. The data indicates that most students believe each course's class contact hours and student workloads are appropriate. 3 (14%) of the 22 courses offered at the Master Program of Sanata Dharma University were perceived to be slightly heavier than the course requirements and the time allocated for their completion. These three courses, namely PEDU 202 Educational Psychology, POTLEDU 204 Principles of Teaching Linguistics, and REDU 205 Research Trends in ELT, are offered in the first semester and are foundational as they lay strong knowledge and skills for students to become educators and researchers. This is one of the reasons why students find them more challenging than other courses in the program. Another reason is that our students come from diverse educational institutions and linguistic, cultural, and geographical backgrounds. These challenges have impacted perceived stricter time management for those students. In addition, despite the challenges in the first semester, around 99% of the students graduate within two years or meet the study length of the program with satisfying results, including having at least one paper published in an Indonesian accredited journal.


Regardless, the Master's program takes the students’ well-being, which, among others, indicates the suitability of students’ study load and the estimated number of hours spent.