Student Load

Student load for fall and spring semesters is 12 to 18 credits for full-time students and fewer than 12 credits for part-time students. To enroll for more than 18 credits, a student must have a GPA of at least 3.25 in each of the two preceding semesters, complete a petition explaining the reason(s) for the overload, and receive the approval of the advisor and the Office of the Registrar.

Student load for January Session is 2 to 5 credits. Most students take 3 credits. If a student is registered above the maximum credit load for January (five credits) on the day before January Session classes begin, the Registrar's Office will drop the most recent course(s) for which the student had registered until the student is no longer above the maximum credit load for January Session.

Student load for summer may not exceed 12 credits.

Under the Code of Federal Regulations [8 C.F.R. § 214.2 (f)(6)(i)(G)], for F–1 students enrolled in classes for credit or classroom hours, no more than the equivalent of one class or three credits per session, term or semester may be counted toward the full course of study requirement if the class is taken online or through distance education and does not require the student’s physical attendance for classes, examination, or other purposes integral to completion of the class. An online or distance education course is a course that is offered principally through the use of television, audio, or computer transmission including open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, satellite, audio conferencing, or computer conferencing. If the F–1 student’s course of study is in a language study program, no online or distance education classes may be considered to count toward a student’s full course of study requirement.

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