Enrollment Status and Course Load

https://registrar.uark.edu/The enrollment status of undergraduate students is based on the number of hours enrolled in a semester or the summer term. The university recognizes full-time status as carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours in any semester (fall and spring) or the summer term.  The summer term is inclusive of May Intersession, five-, eight-, and ten-week summer sessions. Students should be aware that the minimum number of hours during the fall and spring semesters is insufficient for completion of a four-year degree program in eight academic semesters (four years). Since most university degree programs require a minimum of 120 credit hours, or 30 hours per year, a student should earn 15 hours per semester to complete most degree programs in four years (eight semesters). The university offers degree-completion plans; see the Office of the Registrar’s website or the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.

The chart below shows the enrollment status for each semester or summer term, based on hours enrolled.

Term Hours Enrollment Status
Fall, Spring, Summer 1-5 Less than half-time
6-8 Half-time
9-11 Three-quarter time
12 or more Full-time

Number of Hours Allowed per Semester or Term

  1. Undergraduate students in good academic standing who wish to enroll in more than 18 hours in a fall or spring semester, excluding intersession, must be approved by their academic dean's office. In addition to the fall and spring semester limit of 18 hours, undergraduate students may enroll in an August or January Intersession up to a maximum of one lecture or lab course, with the exception of co-requisite courses, for a maximum of 4 hours.

  2. Undergraduate students in good academic standing who wish to enroll in more than 21 fall or spring semester hours, excluding intersession, must get a recommendation from their academic dean's office and  be approved by the Academic Standards Committee.

  3. Undergraduate students in good academic standing who wish to take more than 7 hours in one five-week summer session or more than 14 hours total in the summer term must get a recommendation from their academic dean's office and  be approved by the Academic Standards Committee. In addition to the summer limits above, undergraduate students may enroll in a May Intersession up to a maximum of one lecture or lab course, with the exception of co-requisite courses, for a maximum of 4 hours.

  4. For students with severe injury or illness of a temporary or permanent nature, less than 12 hours may be certified on a semester-by-semester basis as full-time with the approval of the student’s dean and the documented concurrence of a physician or licensed examiner.