Credit Overload for Undergraduate Students

Policy

Credit load is the number of credits in which a student is enrolled. Credit load is used to determine student status as a full-time or part-time student. An undergraduate student enrolled for 12 credits or more per semester is considered a full-time student for academic purposes.

The maximum allowable credit load without additional consultation is 18 credits.

Credit load includes the total credits of all courses enrolled, including on-campus, off-campus, on-line, and any other college courses taken concurrently with those at Minnesota State Mankato.

A student who desires to enroll for more than the established maximum must obtain approval(s) as outlined in Procedures.

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Procedure

Credit Overload Request forms to seek approval to enroll in more than 18 credits are available on the Registration and Academic Records website.

Students seeking this approval need to:

1. Complete the top half of the form, including information about their major, credits completed, current GPA, the number of total credits they wish to take, course(s) that will take them beyond 18 credits, reason for this request, and their signature.
2. Connect with their academic advisor of record (or department chair if advisor is not readily available) to get their recommendation and signature for overload.
3. Bring completed form to their college/school advising center (or the University Advising Center, if a student is undecided about their major) for a follow-up conversation about the additional cost and workload associated with credit overload. Complete the remainder of the form with the Student Advising Director (or professional advisor designee).

Once the form is completed, permission to enroll in the approved number of credits will be entered for the student by the Student Advising Director (or professional advisor designee) in the college/school advising center. The student may then proceed to enroll for the additional credits.

Processed overload forms are kept in the college/school advising center for three calendar years.

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Rationale

As an institution that promotes quality educational experiences and is concerned with offering students a successful academic experience, Minnesota State University, Mankato seeks to establish conditions that encourage student success and meet our diverse learners’ needs. Therefore, to promote student success, the University has created this policy limiting the number of credits for which a student can register without additional conversation. The credit overload procedure builds an opportunity for students to consult with experts, and subsequently make informed decisions about additional cost and workload associated with enrolling in more than 18 credits.