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Fort Lewis College Official Seal


Policy identification number: To Come
File: Academic Policies > Academic Standards

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

I. Policy Statement

No bachelor’s degree candidate may register for more than 22 credits at Fort Lewis College in a Fall or Spring semester or 6 credits at Fort Lewis College in a Summer semester (any combination of terms 1 to 5). Likewise, no bachelor’s degree candidate may register for more than 8 credits in any ONE Summer term.  Exceptions to this policy will be granted for internships only - students should submit a Credit Overload Petition through the Registrar’s office.

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.

V. Responsibilities

For following the policy: Bachelor's degree candidates

For enforcement of the policy: Registrar

For oversight of the policy: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

For notification of policy: Registrar

For procedures implementing the policy: Policy Librarian

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.

VII. Revision History

This policy revises the Maximum Credit Load policy approved by Faculty Senate on March 14, 2014 by eliminating the need for advisor approval if a student would like to register for 19 to 22 credits in a Fall or Spring semester or 13 to 16 credits in a Summer semester.  It also establishes a maximum load limit of 8 credits in any ONE Summer term. 

August 2021 revision - eliminates the need for advisor approval between 19 and 22 credit hours and establishes a maximum credit hour load limit of 8 credits in any ONE summer term