Full-Time Enrollment Requirements 

Credit Hours 

Undergraduate: A minimum of 12 credit hours is required in all regular semesters. Only ONE online course can be counted toward the enrollment requirement. 

Graduate: A minimum of 9 credit hours is required in all regular semesters. Only ONE online course can be counted toward the enrollment requirement. 

Intensive English for Internationals: For students who are solely pursuing the Intensive English for Internationals program, no online classes may count towards minimum enrollment requirements.

Reduced Course Load

Immigration Regulations allow certain reasons for students to take a course load below the minimums noted above:

• Initial difficulty with the English language or reading requirements
• Unfamiliarity with U.S. teaching methods
• Improper course level placement
• Temporary illness or medical condition
• During the final term, semester or session, if fewer courses are needed to complete the course of study.
• Graduate students who have reached the dissertation-only, thesis-only, or final-project only/capstone project phase of studies. All previous classes must be complete before students are allowed to take a reduced course load.

If one of these circumstances applies to you and it is necessary for you to drop below full-time hours, submit a request to ISS using the button below. Any student who drops below full-time without prior approval will be considered out of status.