Northeastern State University

Academic Information

Semester Load

Full-time Student: To be considered full time, an undergraduate student must be enrolled in at least six hours in a summer session and at least twelve hours in a fall or spring semester. Zero “0” level courses which are taken to complete a skill or curricular deficiency are counted when considering full-time status of the student for financial aid and athletic eligibility purposes.

Normal Load: The average or normal semester enrollment is considered to be fourteen to nineteen semester hours of work. When this amount of credit is regularly earned, it will lead to the completion of all degree requirements in eight semesters or four school years.

Above Average Load: A student who has demonstrated superior scholastic ability (GPA of 3.0 or above) may increase the load above the normal amount. The semester hour load is determined in conference by the adviser and the student and is based upon the past performance of the student. Students with a 3.00 GPA may enroll in more than 19 hours during a Spring or Fall semester and more than nine hours during the Summer term. In no case shall the maximum load exceed one and one-half times the number of weeks in a given semester or summer term. (Oklahoma State Regents regulation, January 31, 1977) This is a combined number of hours from NSU, including correspondence and arranged classes, and any other college or university that the student attends during the semester. Graduate students should refer to the Graduate Catalog for information on semester loads.