Academic Load and Enrollment Requirements

All academic credit is stated in credit hours. Full and part-time student status is determined by the number of credit hours in which a student is enrolled during any given term.

Student Type

Full-time

Part-time

(three quarter-time)

Part-time (half-time)

Part-time

(less than half-time)

Semester Undergraduate

12 or more credit hours

9-11 credit hours

6-8 credit hours

1-5 credit hours

Quarter Undergraduate

9 or more credit hours

8 credit hours

6-7 credit hours

1-5 credit hours

Semester Graduate

9 or more credit hours

Not applicable

6-8 credit hours

1-5 credit hours

Quarter Graduate

9 or more credit hours

Not applicable

6-7 credit hours

1-5 credit hours

Notes: (1) International students must maintain full-time student status to remain in compliance with US visa regulations.

(2) Course extensions, including capstone extensions, are not counted among a student’s “hours enrolled.” For this reason, students who are only enrolled in the completion of a capstone experience are considered less than half-time students.

(2) Missouri students expecting to qualify for Missouri State Grant funds are required by the state to be enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours per semester or nine hours per quarter, both at the time the funds are requested and at the time the funds are received.

Undergraduate Academic Overload

Full-time students may enroll in a minimum of 12 credit hours and a maximum of 18 hours per semester at no additional cost (other than any costs for lab fees or other fees associated with particular courses). Students enrolled in more than 18 credit hours in a semester are subject to an overload fee and must receive approval for the overload from the registrar.

Graduate Academic Overload

Full-time graduate resident students enrolled in graduate semester programs may enroll in 9-15 credit hours per semester at no additional cost (other than any costs for lab fees or other fees associated with particular courses). Graduate semester students enrolled in more than 15 credit hours in a semester are subject to an overload fee and must receive approval for the overload from the registrar. 

Honors Overload

With administrative authorization, students with cumulative grade point averages above 3.3 may take courses up to 24 credit hours of undergraduate coursework at no extra charge. In addition, the honors benefit shall apply to early access graduate courses. Students who do not meet the required minimum GPA must complete the Petition for Academic Course Overload.