| University Closed for Winter Break Have a great Winter Break, Terps! The University will be closed on Tuesday, December 24 and will re-open on Thursday, January 2. |
Undergraduate Contact: Records and Registration Services Graduate Contact: Graduate Degree Clearance Services |
Enrollment Status
The Office of the University Registrar is responsible for compliance with standards for full-time and half-time enrollment. Your financial aid, degree completion, and other university services depend on your enrollment status.
Audited courses are not included in the calculation of credits for full-time status.
On this page:
Undergraduate Students
Fall or Spring Semester
| Enrolled Credits | Enrollment Status |
|---|---|
| 12+ | Full-time |
| 9 - 11 | Three-quarter time/More than half-time |
| 6 - 10 | Half-time |
| 1 - 5 | Less than half-time |
Undergraduate Agreements for Enrollment Status
- UMEI Program: Students enrolled in UMEI 001-004 are considered full-time students. Students enrolled in UMEI 005 (semi-intensive) must register for an additional 6-8 credits, appropriate to their program, to meet the full-time requirement.
- ENCO/COOP: Students enrolled in Engineering Coop (ENCO099) and Cooperative Education (UNIV099) programs are considered full-time students.
- ADS Reduced Course Load Accommodations: Eligible students can work with Accessibility & Disability Service (ADS) to request a reduction in course load to meet full-time status.
| If a student with a scholarship or grant falls below the required 12 credit hours, the scholarship or grant may be canceled. Students receiving financial aid are strongly encouraged to contact a financial aid counselor prior to dropping below full time status. Additional information may be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Aid. |
Graduate Students
The Graduate School uses a unit system in making calculations to determine full-time or part-time student status. Please note that graduate units are different from credit hours. The number of graduate units per credit hour is calculated in the following manner:
| Courses | Units per Credit Hour |
|---|---|
| 000-399 | 2 |
| 400-499 | 4 |
| 500-599 | 5 |
| 600-897 | 6 |
| 799 (Masters Research) | 12 |
| 898 (Pre-candidacy Doctoral Research) | 18 |
| HESP829 | 18 |
| 899 (Doctoral Dissertation Research) | 18 |
Fall or Spring Semester
| Enrolled Units | Enrollment Status |
|---|---|
| 48+ | Full-time |
| 25 - 47 | Three-quarter time/More than half-time |
| 24 | Half-time |
| 1 - 23 | Less than half-time |
Graduate assistants holding regular appointments have full-time status if they are registered for at least 24 units in addition to the assistantship; holders of half-time assistantships are considered full-time if registered for 36 units. Courses taken with the grading method of Audit do not generate graduate units and will not be used in calculating full-time or part-time status.
Fall, Winter, Spring, or Summer 12-week Term
| Enrolled Units | Enrollment Status |
|---|---|
| 36+ | Full-time |
| 19 - 35 | Three-quarter time/More than half-time |
| 18 | Half-time |
| 1 - 17 | Less than half-time |
Graduate assistants holding regular appointments have full-time status if they are registered for at least 18 units in addition to the assistantship; holders of half-time assistantships are considered full-time if registered for 27 units. Courses taken with the grading method of Audit do not generate graduate units and will not be used in calculating full-time or part-time status.
International Students
International students on F-1 and J-1 student visas must maintain full-time status throughout each semester according to federal regulations governing F-1 and J-1 students. Please contact an advisor in International Student and Scholar Services at 301-314-7740 if you have any questions concerning full-time status.
- Undergraduate international students must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours each fall and spring semester to be considered a full-time student.
- Graduate international students must be enrolled in at least 48 units each fall and spring semester to be considered a full-time student (Note: 20-hour assistantships are equivalent to 24 units; 10-hour assistantships are equivalent to 12 units)
- Courses taken for "audit" or "incomplete" do not generate credits/units and cannot be used in calculating full-time status.
- Only one online course/distance education can count towards full-time enrollment.
- If you will be part-time in a semester due to illness, academic difficulties, or because you are in your final semester, you must receive permission for part-time enrollment from International Student and Scholar Services before the end of the drop/add period for that semester. To request permission, log in to iTerp and go to F-1 Student Services to complete the Part-Time Authorization e-form. Your academic advisor will need to confirm your part-time status.