Policies & Procedures

Graduate School

Graduate Student Course Loads - 1L1

The normal academic load for graduate students is 9 credit hours in graduate-level courses per fall/spring semester.  Full-time status is defined by the academic load shown in the table below.  Credit hour requirements for financial aid are defined by Student Financial Aid.

Graduate students must enroll in a minimum of 6 graduate-level credit hours to be eligible to serve in a Graduate Assistantship position during the fall/spring semesters.  Graduate students are not required to enroll in courses during the summer semester to serve as a Graduate Assistant but must be a continuing graduate student who has been enrolled in graduate courses in the preceding spring term and subsequent fall term if they are not enrolled in the summer.  Exceptions to these requirements are possible only by approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, or designee.

Graduate students who are completing their degree are not permitted to serve as a Graduate Assistant beyond the last day of their final semester.

	Fall/Spring		Summer
	Graduate	Graduate (w/Assistantship)	Graduate (with or without Assistantship)
Full-Time	Minimum of 9.0 credit hours in graduate-level courses	Minimum of 6.0 credit hours in graduate-level courses	Minimum of 3.0 credit hours in graduate-level courses
3/4 Time (75%)	Minimum of 7.0 credit hours in graduate-level courses	Graduate students with fewer than 6.0 credit hours in graduate-level courses are typically ineligible for Assistantships.	Minimum of 3.0 credit hours in graduate-level courses
Half-Time	Minimum of 5.0 credit hours in graduate-level courses		Minimum of 2.0 credit hours in graduate-level courses
Less Than Half-Time	Fewer than 5.0 credit hours in graduate-level courses		Fewer than 2.0 credit hours in graduate-level courses

Graduate students may enroll in a maximum of 15 hours in fall semesters, 15 hours in spring semesters, and 12 hours in summer terms. Graduate students with assistantships may enroll in a maximum of 12 hours in fall semesters, 12 hours in spring semesters, and 9 hours in summer terms. A graduate student must enroll in courses bearing graduate credit in order to meet the stated minima. Audit work does not qualify in meeting the minima; however, audit work is calculated in determining a student's maximum course load.

Exceptions to these maxima and minima are possible only with the written permission of the program and the Dean of the Graduate School, or designee.

Approved by Chancellor effective 1/2/26
This policy was issued on January 5, 2026, replacing the January 16, 2019 version.
Document Reference: 1L1
Origin: AAT 111; OP 10/7/91; GR 13/14-06; OC 2/4/15; GR 17/18-09; GR 24/25-05