Final answer:
The course load for the student is the sum of credit hours and employment hours, which totals to 44 hours.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks us to calculate the course load for a student who has a schedule comprising of 18 credit hours and 26 hours of employment. The course load is typically calculated by adding the credit hours to the employment hours. Therefore, the course load for this student would be:
18 credit hours + 26 employment hours = 44 hours.
Hence, the correct answer is (a) 44 hours.