Credits—Academic advancement is measured in terms of semester credit hours or, simply, credits. The number of credits required for the bachelor's degree, which varies among departments, averages about 130 semester credits. Students may receive an undergraduate degree in approximately eight semesters, depending on their semester course load and degree requirements.
Class Standing—Determined by number of credit hours
- First-year students 0–29.99 credits
- Sophomore 30–59.99 credits
- Junior 60–89.99 credits
- Senior 90+ credits
Full-Time Load—Defined as 12–18 credits per semester. When deciding the pace of academic advancement, students should consider their cumulative course workload as well as number of credit hours. Two hours of outside preparation are expected for each hour of lecture and recitation. A student in a 4-credit class would be expected to spend eight hours weekly in outside preparation.
Maximum Credit Load—The maximum load a student may carry will be subject to the following limits:
- The student load is prescribed by individual departments; the maximum is 18 credits per semester.
- A student with a 3.00 cumulative grade point average may be permitted to take additional credits with the approval of the student's academic advisor.
- A student on academic probation shall not be permitted to register for more than 16 credits per semester unless approval is granted by the Dean of Students Office.