Graduate School: Maximum Credit Loads and Overload Requests

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Policy Number:
UW-1228
Responsible Office:
Graduate School

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

This policy defines the upper limit of credits for which a graduate student may enroll each term and addresses the criteria for surpassing the limit.  

Definitions:
Credit Hour
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.
Dissertator
A graduate student pursuing a PhD who has completed all requirements for a doctoral degree except for the dissertation. The Graduate School automatically places a graduate student who passes the preliminary examination into dissertation fee status which restricts enrollment to exactly 3 graded research credits per term. A student may opt out if they wish to enroll in other than 3 graded research credits. Dissertator status is not a requirement to graduate with a doctoral degree.
Scope:

Graduate students

Policy:

Non-dissertator graduate students are allowed to enroll for a maximum of 15 credits in fall and spring semesters, and 12 credits in summer term.  

The enrollment system does count all credits in determining maximum credit load. Courses taken for audit, courses taken with the pass/fail grading option, courses offered as satisfactory/unsatisfactory, and 100- or 200-level courses taken by graduate students are counted in total credit load, along with 300-level and above courses.

A student who wishes to surpass the maximum credit load for a term or a student who seeks to enroll in a number of credits greater than the number of weeks in any short session during summer term (excluding dissertators) must submit the Credit Overload Request form. The Graduate School will look closely at the rationale for the request, the student’s course load, satisfactory progress, and assistantships. 

Dissertators are not eligible for credit overloads in fall or spring terms. In the summer, a dissertator enrolled in the general 8-week session for 3 credits may request an overload for 1-2 additional credits in a short session and retain dissertator status. For such requests to be approved, the course must be related to dissertation research or professional training that is not offered in regular semesters. 

Faculty advisors must sign an overload request form for summer term which is available from Academic Services in the Graduate School. 

Even though pass/fail courses, audit courses, and 100- or 200-level courses are not considered graduate level credits, they are counted in a total credit load.  

 

Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Dean of the Graduate School
Policy Manager:
Director, Academic Services, Graduate School
Contact:
Associate Director of Admissions -- Katie Bourassa, katie.bourassa@wisc.edu, (608) 262-2433
Revised Dates:

06-30-2023

Retrieved:
04-27-2024 05:07:31