FAQ - Course Credits

Q: How many courses/credits must I take each semester to be considered a full-time student?

The normal full-time course load is 16 credits, i.e. four four-credit courses. For the purposes of federal requirements, a student is considered full-time if he or she is taking at least 12 credits; however this is a technical standard. Under normal circumstances, students are expected to take four four-credit courses each semester. Doing less is called underpointing and can interfere with completing the degree within four years.

Q: How many credits are courses worth?

Most courses at the college are worth 4 credits each. There are, however, courses that are one- and two-credit courses and occasionally a five-credit course. If courses will give you fewer or more than 4 credits, that is indicated in the course schedule and in the catalog.

Q: How many credits do I need for graduation?

You need a minimum of 128 credits to graduate.

Q: Are there limits on the number of one- and two-credit courses I'm allowed to take?

There are no limits on the number of one- and two-credit courses you may take, but only four one-credit courses are allowed to count toward your degree.

Q: What if I want to take more than 16 credits in a semester?

Enrolling in 16 credits per semester is considered a full course load. Undergraduate students may enroll in up to 19 credits per semester, subject to the approval of their faculty advisers.  Taking more than 19 credits in a semester is called overpointing. With a GPA of at least a B (3.0) from the previous semester, you may enroll in up to 23 credits by notifying the Office of Records and Registration by e-mail or in person.  Registering for 20 to 23 credits, without a 3.0 in the previous semester, or enrolling in 24 to 27 credits, even with a 3.0 from the previous semester, requires permission from both your faculty adviser and your dean, who must sign an Overpoint Approval form that is available in the Office of Records and Registration on the first floor of Fanning Hall.  You may not enroll in more than 27 credits without the approval of the Committee on Academic Standing.  Petition forms are also available in the Office of Records and Registration. 

Q: Will I receive credit for college courses taken in high school?

You may receive credit for college courses taken in high school only if you took those courses on a college campus, with other college students, and were taught by the college's faculty. You will not receive credit for any college course that meets the above requirements if you used it for credit for graduation from high school.

Q: How do I get credit for courses if I transfer in from another college?

You must have your official transcript sent to the Office of Records and Registration. Shortly after the transcript is received, your courses will be evaluated and appropriate credit will be posted on your transcript.  Please keep in mind that there are specific criteria that must be satisfied in order to earn transfer credit for pre-freshman course work. 

Q: How do I get credit for my International Baccalaureate (IB) degree?

Once the Office of Records and Registration receives the transcript of your IB courses, those courses will be evaluated and appropriate credit will be posted to your transcript.

Q: How do I know which courses to take if I don't know which courses will receive credit?

Do not register for any course for which you may be receiving college credit. Speak with your faculty adviser and a representative from the Office of Records and Registration about this concern. You may be able to register for an advanced course if you have taken a lower level course as part of your IB. Speak with the Chair of the appropriate department to see whether this is an option.

Q: Will I receive credit for my AP (advanced placement) courses?

You must receive scores of 4 or 5 to receive credit for your (certain) AP exams, but not all of your AP credit will satisfy departmental requirements. (For example, American History AP cannot be used to satisfy the General Education Area for Historical Studies or the history department's requirements; similarly, the Literature AP will not satisfy the English department's requirements, although a score of 5 will satisfy the General Education Area for literature.)  Check with your faculty adviser or the Office of Records and Registration if you have questions.

Q: Are there times when AP credits could be a problem?

Besides being aware that not all AP credits are accepted by academic departments, you should also know that sometimes AP credits may conflict with 100-level courses, even if the academic department will not accept those credits. Check with your adviser or the department in question to make sure that there is no overlap between your AP credits and a 100-level course you are thinking of taking.

Q: May I use AP credits toward graduation or to repair deficits?

You may use up to 16 credits toward graduation (that is, AP credits may help you graduate a semester early if you choose) and up to 8 credits to repair deficits (such as missing one or two courses because of drops or underpointing).

Last Modified: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 20:02