{"id":33,"date":"2026-01-16T16:10:38","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T16:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test-uwsp-multi.pantheonsite.io\/office-of-the-registrar\/?page_id=33"},"modified":"2026-04-30T19:59:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T19:59:48","slug":"credit-load-and-ranges","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/credit-load-and-ranges\/","title":{"rendered":"Credit Load and Ranges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong><em>Academic Year<\/em><\/strong><\/th><th><strong><em>Full-time<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>status<\/em><\/strong><\/th><th><strong><em>Three-Quarter-time<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>status<\/em><\/strong><\/th><th><span><em style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Half-time<\/em><\/span><strong><em> <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>status<\/em><\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Undergraduate<\/td><td>12+ credits per semester<\/td><td>9-11 credits per semester<\/td><td>6-8 credits per semester<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Graduate<\/td><td>9+ credits per semester<\/td><td>6-8 credits per semester<\/td><td>5 credits per semester<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong><em>Summer Session<\/em><\/strong><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Undergraduate<\/td><td>12+ credits<\/td><td>9-11 credits<\/td><td>6-8 credits<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Graduate<\/td><td>5+ credits<\/td><td>4 credits<\/td><td>3 credits<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Enrollment Status &#8211; Credit Hours<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwsp-vtabs blockspacetop blockspacebottom\"><div class=\"vtab-intro\" style=\"text-align:\"><h2 class=\"h2\">Study Loads and Credit Overloads<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"vtab-thetabs\"><div class=\"accentlinetop\" role=\"none\"><\/div><div class=\"vtab-nav\"><\/div><div class=\"vtab-content\">\n<div class=\"uwsp-vtab-thetab\"><div class=\"vtab-tabtitle\">Fall\/Spring Semesters<i class=\"fa-solid fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/div><div class=\"vtab-tabcontent\">\n<div class=\"vtab-content-column bgpurple\"><h2>Fall\/Spring Semesters<\/h2><div>\n<p>Typical load: 14\u201316 credits per semester (includes correspondence, online, and courses at other campuses). If you add enough credits during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/session-and-add-drop-dates\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"37\">ADD<\/a> period to result in a credit overload, you must obtain the appropriate authorization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When You Need Approval: <strong>Credit overloads must be approved <em>before<\/em> you officially register.<\/strong><br><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>18\u201320 credits<\/strong> <\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Requires approval from your advisor or department chair.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If approved, your advisor or department chair will submit the required online form to the Office of the Registrar.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>21+ credits<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Requires approval from your college dean.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Granted only for exceptional reasons and strong academic records.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Submitted by college dean via the accesSPoint eForm.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Graduate students (16+ credits)<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Must have approval from advisor and college dean.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Approval submitted via accesSPoint.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Credit Limits Due to Unmet Requirements<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Your maximum load is limited to 12 credits if you have not completed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Required remedial courses before 30 earned credits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>English 101 &amp; 202 and Math 100 or 105 before 60 earned credits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Foundation Level requirements before 60 earned credits<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>For questions, contact the <strong><a href=\"mailto:registrar@uwsp.edu\">Office of the Registrar<\/a>, <\/strong>171 SRC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Veterans Benefits<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>To receive full Veterans (Public Law 550) or Social Security benefits, you must enroll in at least 12 credits.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwsp-vtab-thetab\"><div class=\"vtab-tabtitle\">Summer Semester<i class=\"fa-solid fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/div><div class=\"vtab-tabcontent\">\n<div class=\"vtab-content-column bgpurple\"><h2>Summer Semester<\/h2><div>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Graduate Students<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Graduate students may take a reduced number of credits in summer due to the accelerated structure of the session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Credit Load:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Normal load: 6 credits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maximum load: 9 credits total (no more than 6 credits in any four\u2011week period)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Overloads:<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need to enroll in more than 9 credits, you must request approval from your college dean before registering. Overloads are only granted for exceptional circumstances, and early approval is required for registration to proceed. Because summer courses move quickly and require significant time, taking more than 6 credits is not recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Undergraduate Students<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Undergraduates must receive authorization to take heavier summer course loads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Credit load:<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Approval is required for more than 12 credits in the summer session.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Authorization must be submitted via the eForm before registration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Planning your summer credit load:<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>As a general guideline, plan for about 1 credit per week of instruction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>3 credits in a 3\u2011week session<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4 credits in a 4\u2011week session<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>8 credits in an 8\u2011week session<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking multiple short\u2011session courses or combining an 8\u2011week course with additional short\u2011session credits can create a substantial overload. <em>Example: two 3\u2011credit courses in a 4\u2011week session equals a 24\u2011credit regular semester load.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwsp-vtab-thetab\"><div class=\"vtab-tabtitle\">Authorizing Officials for Credit Overloads<i class=\"fa-solid fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/div><div class=\"vtab-tabcontent\">\n<div class=\"vtab-content-column bgpurple\"><h2>Authorizing Officials for Credit Overloads<\/h2><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong><em>Department\/Program<\/em><\/strong><\/th><th><strong><em>Authorizing Official<\/em><\/strong><\/th><th><strong><em>Building\/Room<\/em><\/strong><\/th><th><strong><em>Phone<\/em><\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Majors not shown below<\/td><td>Chair of Major Department or Advisor<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Undecided\/Undeclared Major<\/td><td>Academic and Career Advising Center<\/td><td>CCC 209<\/td><td>3226<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Forestry, Resource Management,<br>Soil and Waste Resources,<br>Water Resources and Wildlife<\/td><td>Associate Dean, Advisor<\/td><td>TNR 122<\/td><td>4081<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"accentlinebottom\" role=\"none\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u200bClassification by Credits Earned<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Classification<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Credits Earned<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Freshman<\/td><td>0-29 credits<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sophomore<\/td><td>30-59 credits<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Junior<\/td><td>60-89 credits<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Senior<\/td><td>90+ credits<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Academic Year Full-time status Three-Quarter-time status Half-time status Undergraduate 12+ credits per semester 9-11 credits per semester 6-8 credits per semester Graduate 9+ credits per semester 6-8 credits per semester 5 credits per semester Summer Session Undergraduate 12+ credits 9-11 credits 6-8 credits Graduate 5+ credits 4 credits 3 credits Enrollment Status &#8211; Credit Hours [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-33","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/33","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/33\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1530,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/33\/revisions\/1530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}