Part 1: Graduate Student Policies

2.2 Course Loads

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Full-Time Enrollment

Graduate students may be required to maintain full-time enrollment; however, what constitutes full-time enrollment can vary. For example, departmental requirements, eligibility for student loans or other financial aid, fellowships, certain types of non-university insurance policies, or tax requirements may use different definitions of full-time enrollment. Students are responsible for understanding what requirements apply to them.

For all students.

  • The Student Code contains the university definition of full-time status for students.
  • Simultaneous enrollment at another institution may not be added to hours enrolled at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in order to determine full-time status.
  • Audited courses do not count as any hours toward load.
  • For purposes of loan deferral only, 0 credit registration in GC 599 will count as full-time registration.
  • Graduate student employees with assistantship appointments who are not registered for at least a half-time load in a particular term will be subject to Social Security and Medicare deductions from the assistantship pay for that term

International students. International students are considered by the Graduate College to be enrolled full-time when they meet the requirements as follows:

  • International students on an F-1 or J-1 visa are required to maintain full-time enrollment for purposes of Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS) reporting. Students who are required to take English as a Second Language (ESL) classes as a result of the English Placement Test (EPT) or because of teaching assistantship obligations. For purposes of load calculation, ESL courses required or recommended by the EPT will count as four hours even if the registration is listed in the student registration systems as zero hours.
  • International students whose first term of study is the summer term must carry a full course load.
  • Continuing international students are not required by the campus to enroll for the summer terms, although their departments may require enrollment. Those who do enroll do not need to carry a full course load for SEVIS purposes.
  • International graduate students who have completed all credit requirements (course work and thesis research) for their degree programs may register for 0 hours of 599 until completion of study. This registration will be considered full-time for purposes of SEVIS reporting. International students seeking this exception to the full-time credit requirements should contact Office of International Student and Scholar Services before registering for the reduced credit load.

Minimum Enrollment

All students should keep in mind that enrollment below a full-time course of study may jeopardize progress toward a degree, financial aid, fellowship, loan deferment, or the visa status of an international student. Some departments have established a minimum amount of credit for which their students must register.

Maximum Enrollment

The maximum amount of credit in which a graduate student may enroll is 20 hours in fall and spring terms and 12 hours in the summer term. Students in non-degree status have other restrictions, and can see Chapter 2.1 General Information About Registration for more information.

Definition of a Credit Hour

According to the Federal Credit Hour Definition: A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:

  1. one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
  2. at least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other activities as established by an institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

It is customary for graduate courses that carry either 3 or 4 hours of credit to meet in organized instruction for 43 to 58 contact hours per term (3 to 4 contact hours per week in fall or spring) including examinations.