Enrollment Requirements

Remain a full-time student (12) or more credit hours for undergraduate students or nine (9) or more credit hours for F-1 graduate students and three (3) or more credit hours for J-1 graduate students.
For full-time students, 75% of the required enrollment credit hours need to be in-person.
Discuss any under-enrollment before the semester begins or before you drop a course during the semester with the immigration & advising coordinator.
Culture & Intensive English Program (CIEP) students should contact CIEP staff if they have questions about full-time CIEP enrollment or enrollment in part-CIEP and part-credit bearing courses.
You must speak with the immigration & advising coordinator if you are taking a course that requires an off-campus internship, or if an internship or similar work project is a required part of your degree program. Do this prior to the internship start date.

Online Courses While in the U.S.

F-1 or J-1 Status

Undergraduate students may take no more than three-credit hours of online courses to meet the minimum full-time enrollment requirement
Graduate students must enroll in nine (9) credits with six (6) credits in-person
Students who will take only one course in a semester are not permitted to take that course through online or distance education

Summer Enrollment

If an F-1 or J-1 student starts their program of study in the summer semester, or if the student will complete their final classes in the summer semester, the regular full-time enrollment requirements as stated above must be followed
Continuing students (those who will not graduate in the summer and intend to come back for the Fall semester) are not required to take any summer courses. If the student chooses to take any summer courses, they do not need to be enrolled full-time and may take all courses online if desired

Reduced Course Load (RCL)

A student with F-1 or J-1 student status may not reduce their course load below full-time without prior permission from their Immigration & Advising Coordinator
In cases where an RCL is allowed, a Reduced Course Load Form must be completed and submitted to the Immigration & Advising Coordinator prior to dropping any courses in order to properly document the reduction in the student’s immigration file

The reduced course load may be taken only for the following reasons and typically only for one semester during each education level, per immigration regulations

Difficulties with the English language
Improper course-level placement
Lack of familiarity with U.S. teaching methods or difficulty with reading requirements
A serious medical condition documented in writing by a licensed doctor (Medical leaves of absence can only be approved for a maximum of 12 months aggregate)
During the last semester of study if fewer credits are required for completion of the academic program
During the last semester for a graduate student who is preparing for comprehensive exams or completing a thesis
Documentation supporting your request must be submitted to the Immigration Advisor and approved prior to dropping any courses. Failure to submit this documentation on time will be considered a violation of your immigration status and will be reported to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security