Full-time study for graduate students is usually defined as a minimum of 8 credit hours per term. Half-time study is defined as 4 credits hours per term.

Please note that academic course load requirements are not the same as financial aid enrollment status. The definitions below apply specifically to financial aid purposes.

Graduate Course Load for Financial Aid Purposes
For financial aid eligibility, a graduate student must be enrolled in a minimum of 8 credit hours in a Summer, Fall, or Spring term or 24 total credit hours across the financial aid year to be considered full-time. The following approved exceptions apply:

- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN): Full-time at 6 credit hours

- Doctor of Psychology (PsyD): Students in internship are considered full-time at 1 credit-hour

- Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT): Full-time at 6 credit hours during any term that includes Professional Practice (DPT-983)

- Doctoral students in dissertation or capstone:

• Considered full-time at 5 or more total credit hours for a maximum of five terms
• This may include: 
• 5+ hours of dissertation/capstone, or
• 3 hours of dissertation/capstone plus 2+ hours of other graduate coursework, or
• 1 hour of dissertation/capstone plus 4+ hours of other graduate coursework

- Doctoral students in dissertation/capstone carrying 1-4 credit hours:  

• Defined as half-time for a maximum of five terms, after which they fall below half-time status

Any graduate student wishing to exceed these limits must receive approval from their school chair or program director and the Provost.

Maximum Couse Load Limits
The maximum load for full-time graduate students is 12 credit hours in a fall or spring term and 6 credit hours in a summer session, unless a program requires a different load.

Faculty and students should always consult program-specific requriements where applicable.

Program-Specific Maximums:

• Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing: Up to 15 credit hours per semester
• Psychology graduate students with a practicum: Up to 14 credit hours per term
• Doctor of Physical Therapy students: Maximum of 10 credit hours in the summer term