Study Load

Fall and Spring Terms

The typical undergraduate study load is 14-16 credits per semester (including courses through correspondence, at other campuses, and distance education). You may take 17 credits with the permission of your adviser.

Study loads of 18, 19, or 20 credits must be approved prior to registration. Check the semester timetable for the appropriate authorizing official for your department/program.

The dean of your college must approve study loads of 21 credits or more. Requests are granted only for extraordinary reasons and only for students with outstanding academic records.

If you are a graduate student, the normal credit load is 9 to 12 credits. You may register for no more than 15 credits during the semester. If there are exceptional circumstances, you can appeal to the dean of your college for permission to carry more than the maximum load. To do this you will need to submit an overload form for your dean’s signature BEFORE you register for the course.

The permission must be obtained before you register. If you add a sufficient number of credits during the ADD period to result in a credit overload, you must obtain the appropriate authorization at that time.

Summer Session

Undergraduate students: Credit overloads must be authorized. Such authorization must be obtained in writing, on a Credit Overload form, before registration. As a general rule, you should plan to carry no more than one (1) credit per week of instruction. For example, 3 credits in a three-week session, 4 credits in a four-week session, 8 credits in an eight-week session, 11 credits in the combined three-week and eight-week session. Combining work in the eight-week session with work in a concurrent short session or taking more than one course in a short session can mean a substantial credit overload. For example, two 3-credit courses in the same four-week session is equivalent to 24 credits in a regular semester.

Graduate students: You may register for no more than 9 credits (6 credits in any four-week period) for the summer session. If there are exceptional circumstances, you can appeal to the dean of your college for permission to carry more than the maximum load. To do this you will need to submit an overload form for your dean's signature BEFORE you register for the overload. You will not be allowed to register unless your overload has had prior approval. The normal graduate course load for the eight-week summer session is 6 credits (3 credits in each four-week term or 6 credits in the eight-week term). If you register for 5 or more credits in the summer you are considered a full-time graduate student. You may register for up to 9 credits in the summer. However, be aware that the concentrated nature of summer courses with the extra commitment of time and energy places a strain on your academic performance. Taking more than 6 credits in the summer is not advised.

Winterim Session

You are limited to a maximum of 3 credits in the winterim session.