Course / Credit Load
Undergraduate Students
Definitions
- A “semester” is defined for hour limit purposes as 16 weeks of class meetings.
- A “term” is defined for hour limit purposes as up to a 9-week period of class meetings.
Fall, Spring, and Accelerated Semesters/Terms
- Minimum Full-Time Undergraduate Load: 12 semester hours (six semester hours for accelerated semester/term schedules).
- Maximum: 18 semester hours (10 semester hours for accelerated semester/term)
- Overload: 19-21 semester hours (11-13 semester hours for accelerated. semester/term schedules) Credit overload requires unconditional admission status, a minimum institutional GPA of 3.5, recommendation of the student’s academic adviser, and signature of the department chair, or designee. Troy campus student overloads require the signature of the Associate Provost/Dean of Undergraduate Studies.
- Students on academic probation: Limited to 13 semester hours (seven semester hours for accelerated semester/term schedules).
Summer Semesters (Alabama Campuses)
- Minimum Full Time Undergraduate Load: Nine to 12 semester hours (over the entire summer). Students are advised that full-time status for federal financial. assistance is 12 semester hours.
- Maximum: 13 semester hours.
- Overload: 14-15 semester hours. Credit overload requires unconditional admission status, a minimum institutional GPA of 3.5, recommendation of the student’s academic adviser, and signature of the department chair.
- Students on Academic Probation: Limited to 10 semester hours.
Important Note Regarding Concurrent Enrollment
Within the beginning and ending dates of a fall or spring semester, concurrent enrollment in the semester and any terms may not exceed 18 hours. Enrollment in more than 18 hours requires a student to meet the University policy for an overload.
Concurrent enrollment in the summer semester and any terms may not exceed 13 hours. Enrollment in more than 13 hours requires a student to meet the University policy for an overload.
The maximum number of overload hours for any fall or spring semester block of time is 21.
Graduate Students
Definitions
- A “semester” is defined for hour load limit purposes as 16 weeks of class meetings.
- A “term” is defined for hour load limit purposes as up to a 9-week period of class meetings.
- A “full-time” graduate student for admission status purposes is a student taking eight or nine semester hours per semester or six semester hours per term, or eight to nine semester hours in a combination of semesters and/or terms over a sixteen-week period.
- A part-time student is defined as a graduate student taking less than a “full-time” load.
Warning: Students who register for coursework in excess of the approved load without prior approval and violate the University's policy regarding course load will be required to drop the overload or lose the excess credit.
Load Limit for Students with Temporary Admission Status
Students with a temporary admission status are limited to a maximum of nine semester hours per semester or six semester hours per term, or a combination thereof not to exceed nine semester hours over a sixteen-week period.
Load Limit for Students with Conditional Admission Status
Students admitted conditionally may take a maximum of nine semester hours per semester or six semester hours per term or a combination thereof not to exceed nine semester hours over a sixteen-week period until the ''conditions for admission'' are removed.
Load Limit for Students with Unconditional Admission Status
The maximum load for unconditionally admitted graduate students is nine semester hours per semester, or six semester hours per term, or a combination thereof not to exceed nine semester hours over a sixteen-week period. With the written approval of the student's academic adviser, the maximum load may be increased to 16 semester hours for unconditionally admitted students. Students who schedule an overload may not reschedule an overload in the subsequent term unless they maintain an overall grade point average of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale during the term in which the overload was scheduled.
For Graduate Assistants
Graduate Assistants are restricted to a minimum of six semester hours or a maximum of nine semester hours per semester.