The master programs offered at ETS can be completed in three years, which is the typical length of a part-time master's degree program in Europe. All programs match program length requirements for similar programs on the main campus. According to Lee University policy, at least one-third of all credits earned toward a graduate degree must be earned through instruction offered by Lee University. The transfer policy, which limits students’ transfer credits to a maximum of 6 hours, ensures all students who graduate from these programs meet this requirement. Lee University does not award academic credit for coursework taken on a noncredit basis for any of its programs.

The university maintains standards to ensure sound and acceptable practices for the awarding of credit regardless of delivery format. Practices for awarding credit are consistent with the Federal definition of the credit hour. In a traditional Lee University class, a semester credit hour is defined by Lee University as 50 minutes of class work or faculty instruction per week for fifteen weeks of the semester. The average minimum expectation for out-of-class work per credit hour is the equivalent of two hours a week for the fifteen-week term. Therefore, the total required activity for a 3-credit-hour course is 112. 

All programs at ETS are offered in an intensive format. For a typical intensive course, students are expected to engage in coursework prior to and following the intensive classroom experience. For a typical 3-credit-hour intensive course at ETS, approximately 35-40 hours of classroom seat time is required over a 5-day intensive session; this is preceded and followed by a number of clock hours of reflective work as specified in the course syllabus. In total, the amount of instructional activity meets or exceeds the minimum 112 hours as required by Lee University policy.