The enrollment status of undergraduate students is based on the number of hours enrolled in a term. The university recognizes full-time status as carrying a minimum of 12 semester hours in a regular (fall and spring) and summer term. Students should be aware that the minimum number of hours 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 semester 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 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
The number of hours in which a student is allowed to register includes self-paced (correspondence) courses taken through Global Campus.
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Undergraduate students who wish to enroll in more than 18 hours in a regular term must be approved by their academic dean's office. Enrollment in an intersession is limited to a maximum of one lecture or lab course, with the exception of co-requisite courses, for a maximum of four hours.
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Undergraduate students who wish to enroll in more than 21 hours in a regular term must get a recommendation from their academic dean's office and be approved by the Academic Standards Committee.
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Undergraduate students 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.
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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 concurrence of a physician or licensed examiner.