Course Overload/Underload Policy

General Guidelines:

a. working 50% time but enrolled in more than 12 hours;

b. working 33% time but enrolled in more than 13 hours;

c. working 25% time but enrolled in more than 15 hours;

d. Graduate working as a RA or RA but not enrolled in atleast 6 hours or Student (with no assistantship):

e. not listed as working at ASU but enrolled in more than 15 hours.

Note: These do not include minimums that International Visas may require.

The following guidelines will be used by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Office until a formal policy is written:

1. No waivers will be granted to students who are supported for the entire semester.

2. Requests for waivers from students who will complete all requirements for a graduate degree during the semester and whose funding will end at the same time the degree requirements are completed will be treated as follows:

a. No waivers will be granted to students who have not completed their degree requirements, and continue to be supported by the College, beyond the middle of the semester.

b. Limited waivers (requiring an enrollment in six hours) will be granted to students who complete their degree requirements and whose support is ended at the same time prior to the middle of the semester.

In generating these guidelines, the following factors have been taken into account:

1. The desire to hurry students through their graduate programs while minimizing the resources spent doing it. For example, to complete 30 credit hours at six hours per semester requires five semesters, but only three at 12 hours per semester. At the current rate of resident tuition, the cost to the student for the five semesters would be approximately $2970; the cost for three semesters would be less at $2826. The cost to the academic unit or a research project for the support of the teaching or research assistantship would be much greater in the first case.

2. The fact that students in the ‘final’ stages of their degree requirements often place a heavy burden on their faculty mentors.

3. The fact that the policy brings some additional resources to the school.