REG 02.20.05 – Course Load

Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

History: First Issued: 1966. Last Revised: October 4, 2022.

Related Policies:
NCSU REG02.15.05 – Graduate Registration and Residence Requirements

NCSU REG02.70.02 – Eligibility for Continued Receipt of Financial Aid

Contact Info: 
Department Registration and Records (919-515-2572)


1. UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE STUDENTS

1.1  The maximum course load for undergraduate degree students is 21 credit hours in a semester and two courses plus a physical education course in a summer session.  To carry more than the maximum, students must obtain the approval of their academic advisers and of their college deans.  Undergraduate students who propose to register for 19 or more credit hours in a semester must obtain approval from their academic advisers.

1.2  The minimum course load for full-time undergraduate degree students is 12 credit hours, except in their final semester when a lesser number may be taken if that is all the student needs to fulfill the requirements for a degree.  In order to receive financial aid a student must meet the minimum course load requirements of the appropriate funding agency, which may differ from the minimum course load requirements listed in this regulation.

1.3  The number of hours for which a student is officially enrolled is that number of hours in which the student is enrolled for credit on the Census Date, which is the last day to drop a course with a tuition refund.

2. NON DEGREE STUDENTS (NDS)

The maximum course load for NDS Students is two courses plus a physical education course in a regular semester or summer session.  Exceptions must be approved by the Department of Registration and Records.

3. COOPERATIVE EDUCATION STUDENTS

Students in the Cooperative Education Program who are enrolled in a cooperative education course (e.g., COP 100) during the semester or summer session in which they are on a work assignment are certified by the Registrar to be full-time students even though academic credit is not granted for the cooperative education experience.  In order to receive financial aid, a student in the Cooperative Education Program must meet the minimum course load requirements of the appropriate funding agency, which may differ from the minimum course load requirements listed in this regulation.

4. GRADUATE DEGREE STUDENTS

4.1 The maximum course load for graduate degree students is 15 credit hours in a fall or spring semester and six credit hours in a summer session.

4.2  The minimum course load for full-time graduate students is defined in the Graduate Handbook.  In order to receive financial aid, a student must meet the minimum course load requirements of the appropriate funding agency, which may differ from the minimum course load requirements in the Graduate Handbook.