Undergraduate Students
Class Load
The normal undergraduate class semester load is 15 credit hours. Twelve credit hours is the minimum class load for classification as a full-time student during the fall or spring semester. Undergraduate students enrolled in fewer than 12 hours are considered part-time students.
Eighteen (18) hours is the maximum class load for which a student may register during the fall or spring semester without special permission. Students with a grade point average of 3.0 or better for the previous semester and with an acceptable cumulative grade point average may register for 19 or more hours with the written permission of the dean of the student’s school. Permission must be secured in advance of and presented during registration.
The load for students who enroll in 7-week classes or a combination of 7-week classes and regular length semester classes will be assessed in the aggregate for the regular semester. Students enrolled in the 7-week terms must meet the same load expectations as students enrolled in regular-length semesters. Enrollment in a minimum of 12 credit hours in the aggregate is the class load for classification as a full-time student during the fall or spring semester. Students who wish to enroll in more than 18 hours must meet the same requirements as outlined above and seek permission. Enrollment in 6 hours per 7-week term is the maximum class load for which an undergraduate student may register. However, enrollment in 9 hours may be allowed with permission of the advisor and dean. Students admitted to an online only program may enroll in 7 hours without special permission when one of their courses is ASE 1121 or ASE 1113 .
In a summer session, 7 hours per term is the maximum class load for which an undergraduate student may register. The student may not register for more than 14 hours total during the summer sessions without the written permission of the dean of the student’s school.
The number of hours in which a student enrolls should be carefully considered in consultation with their advisor. As a general rule, a full-time class load, for undergraduates, of 15 hours is a commitment to a 40-hour week of attendance and out-of-class preparation/assignments.
Class Overload
Any undergraduate student wishing to enroll in 19 credit hours or more during spring or fall semester or 8 hours or more in a summer term must obtain a recommendation of their advisor and approval of the dean. Students with a grade point average of 3.0 or better for the previous semester, and with an acceptable cumulative grade point average may request permission to register for an overload using the “Request for Overload” form, available in the Office of Student Records and from deans’ offices. Approval must be secured in advance of and presented during registration.
Undergraduate students may not enroll in more than 6 hours in any one 7-week term during a regular semester. However, enrollment in 9 hours may be allowed with permission of the advisor and dean.
Graduate Students
Class Load
The normal graduate class load is 9 hours and is the minimum class load for classification as a full-time student during the fall, spring, or extended summer semesters. Compressed sessions of 7 or 6-weeks may be offered and, in this instance 6 hours per session is the maximum class load for which a student may register. During the fall, spring or extended summer terms, 12 hours is the maximum for which a student may register. Any exception to this must be made with the written permission of the dean of the student’s school.
For the graduate student, as a general rule, a full-time class load of 9 hours is a commitment to a 40-hour week of attendance and out-of-class preparation/assignments.
Graduate students enrolled in nine or more credit hours per semester are considered full time. However, the following exceptions apply:
- Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program students are considered full-time during any semester they are enrolled in clinical practicums (ANE 8326 , ANE 8222 , ANE 8360 , ANE 8370 , ANE 8380 ).
- Doctor of Nursing Practice program student enrollment in DNP project courses (FNP 8360 or NUR 8360 ) constitutes half-time enrollment during the semester of enrollment; additional course enrollment constitutes the additional credit hours as reflected on each of the additional courses.
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy program students, after entering candidacy status, are considered half-time while enrolled in a 3-credit hour dissertation course (MFT 8328 , MFT 8329 , MFT 8330 ).
- Doctor of Education program students, after entering candidacy status, are considered half-time while enrolled in a 3-credit hour dissertation course (EDU 8331 ). Doctoral candidates maintain half-time status in this way until completion of the number of dissertation credit hours specified by their programs in the University Catalog and designated on the plan of study.
Any extensions to course enrollments will be handled according to program policies as outlined in the University Catalog.
Students should consult with the Office of Financial Aid regarding required class loads for financial aid purposes.
Class Overload
Graduate students may enroll in up to 12 credit hours during the fall, spring or extended summer terms. A graduate student wanting to enroll in more than 12 credit hours must have written approval of their dean.
For programs that enroll in compressed sessions, students who wish to enroll in more than 6 hours in any one session must obtain written permission from the Dean of the School of Business and have a 3.0 GPA.
Course Types
Lecture/Seminar Courses. During an academic semester, one unit of credit is awarded for one hour (50 minutes) of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours (100 minutes) of out-of-class student work each week for approximately 15 weeks.
Laboratory Courses. During an academic semester, one unit of credit is awarded for two hours (100 minutes) of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of four hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately 15 weeks. Four credit hour courses combining lecture and labs are awarded equivalent of the combined three credit hour lecture/seminar and one credit hour laboratory.
Independent Study. During an academic semester, one unit of credit is awarded for a minimum of three hours (150 minutes) of work per week for approximately 15 weeks. An independent study must be approved by the Department Chair and Dean and designed based on specific learning outcomes that are verifiable through the assessment of student achievement. The student will define the research topic and with the assistance of the faculty sponsor, develop the syllabus, including a course description, learning outcomes, research criteria, assignments and weekly schedule. Regular, periodic meetings with sponsoring faculty are required.
Conference Course. During an academic semester, one unit of credit is awarded for a minimum of three hours (150 minutes) of work per week for approximately 15 weeks. A conference course is a regular course taught by an instructor to an individual student and must be approved by the Dean and University Registrar.
Internships. A minimum of 40 clock hours per unit of credit is required. Host companies must be approved by the Department Chair and company supervisors must agree to place the student in a position that will benefit not only their organization, but will add to the student’s education in a meaningful manner.
Hybrid Courses. During an academic semester, one unit of credit is awarded for a minimum of three hours (150 minutes) of work per week for approximately 15 weeks. All courses offered in this format shall include regular effective contact between the instructor and students, through group and individual meetings, orientation and review sessions, supplemental seminar or study sessions, field, trips, library workshops, telephone contact, correspondence, voice mail, e-mail, or other activities.
Online Courses. During an academic semester, one unit of credit is awarded for a minimum of three hours (150 minutes) of work per week for approximately 15 weeks. All courses offered in this format shall include regular effective contact between instructor and students, through group and individual meetings, orientation and review sessions, supplemental seminar or study sessions, field trips, library workshops, telephone contact, correspondence, voice mail, e-mail, or other activities.
For additional information on Course Types, refer to the Course Descriptions section of this catalog.
|
