The excess credit policy communicates to students the need to graduate in a timely manner. Credits that far exceed the minimum required for a bachelor’s degree do not add value to the degree. Students who remain enrolled beyond the time needed to graduate take the place of other students seeking enrollment in courses for their graduation. The excess credit policy allows students to remain enrolled but sets a limit on the tuition subsidy provided to Wisconsin residents.
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 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 academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
Alternatively, a credit hour is defined as the learning that takes place in at least 45 hours of learning activities, which include time in lectures or class meetings, in-person or online, laboratories, examinations, presentations, tutorials, preparation, reading, studying, hands-on experiences, and other learning activities; or a demonstration by the student of learning equivalent to that established as the expected product of such a period of study.
In all cases, learning in for-credit courses is guided by a qualified instructor and includes regular and substantive student-instructor interaction.
All degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled at UW-Madison who are assessed Wisconsin resident tuition.
Degree-seeking undergraduate students who are assessed Wisconsin resident tuition and who have earned more than 165 credits will be assessed a 100 percent tuition surcharge on any attempted credits over 165, including transfer credits from other UW institutions and from Wisconsin Technical College System institutions.
The following credits are not counted toward the 165-credit surcharge:
Courses graded AU, F, I, N, NR, PI, or U are not counted toward the 165 credit maximum.
Students seeking a second bachelor’s degree who have already been awarded a bachelor’s degree from a UW institution or Wisconsin Technical College are exempt from the tuition surcharge.
04-21-2023
