Undergraduate students may register for a maximum of 19 credits during the fall and spring semesters, and a maximum of 15 credits during the summer session. Undergraduate students who want to enroll for additional credits must submit an approved Credit Overload Form to the Office of the Registrar. The advisor and college dean/designee must approve overload requests for certificate- and degree-seeking students.
Graduate students may register for a maximum of 16 credits during the fall and spring semesters, and a maximum of 12 credits during the summer session. Graduate students who want to enroll for additional credits must submit an approved Graduate Academic Petition Form for a UAA catalog policy exception to the Graduate School. The faculty advisor, chair/director, college dean/designee and graduate dean must approve overload requests for graduate students.
Students should consider their graduation timeline when planning their study load. The minimum number of required credits is 60 for an associate degree and 120 for a baccalaureate degree. To complete an associate degree in two years or a baccalaureate degree in four years (excluding summers), a full-time student should plan to take a minimum of 15 credits each semester. Some degrees require more than the minimum number of credits.
Students should be aware that the need for preparatory work (for example, in writing or mathematics) in preparation for university-wide general education required courses may further extend the time required to complete their programs. When planning their course loads, students should also keep non-school demands on available time, such as employment and/or family responsibilities, firmly in mind.
Full-Time/Part-Time Status
An undergraduate student who is enrolled at UAA for 12 or more credits is classified as full-time. An undergraduate who is enrolled at UAA for fewer than 12 credits is classified as part-time and must be enrolled in at least six credits to be considered half-time.
A student who has been admitted to a UAA graduate program and is enrolled at UAA for 9 or more 600-level credits is classified as full-time. Courses at the 400-level will count toward full-time status only if they are applicable to the graduate degree program. A half-time graduate student is one enrolled for at least 5 graduate credits (400-level credits included if in the graduate degree program). See Graduate Programs for information.
Audited courses, credit-by-examination courses, continuing education units (CEUs) and professional development courses (500-level) are not included in the computation for full-time or part-time status.