Maximum Credit Load – Undergraduate

Policy Summary

This policy limits the number of credits bachelor’s degree candidates can register for in a single semester.

Policy Owner

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Approval Date

August 31, 2021

Effective Date

Fall 2021

Search Terms

vpaa, provost, maximum, credit, load, undergraduate, m

Scheduled for Review

Fall 2026

II. Implications

This policy will delay graduation for students planning on taking more than 22 credits in a regular term or 16 credits in a summer semester.

III. Consideration of Appeals and Petitions

The Maximum Credit Load policy may not be appealed or waived.

IV. Reason for Policy

Higher Learning Commission: HLC monitors the number of students who take more than normal credit loads.  HLC also verifies that the amount of in-class and out-of-class work required per credit follows good practice.[i]

Institutional: Fort Lewis strives to offer rigorous courses.  Rigor requires, among other things, a serious level of student engagement outside of class.  The standard benchmark for rigorous courses is two hours outside of class for every hour inside of class.  A 15-credit load, therefore, should require approximately 45 total hours of work per week.  Given this assumption, it is unreasonable to expect a student to complete more than 22 credit hours in a fall or spring semester (i.e. 66 total hours each week) or 16 credits in a summer semester.

[i] This information was provided by Karen Solinski, VP for Legal and Governmental Affairs for HLC at a session entitled “Preparing for the Credit Hour Review,” on April 9, 2013 at a Higher Learning Commission conference.

VI. Definitions

Bachelor's Degree Candidate: Undergraduate students pursuing their first bachelor's degree and post-baccalaureate students pursuing a second or subsequent, non-duplicative, bachelor's degree who are attending less than half time, half time, three quarters time, or full time.