what is the average course load of an undergraduate student

by Giles Harvey 8 min read

A typical course load is fifteen credit hours each semester. Scholarship and financial aid requirements can influence how many hours you must complete. Taking approximately 15 hours per semester (not including transitional work) should keep you on track for graduation (15×8=120 = minimum hours to graduate).

What is considered a full course load in college?

Jan 18, 2022 · Expected Course Load Undergraduate Level During an average week, you should expect to spend 8-10 hours completing coursework for a 16-week course, and 15-18 hours completing coursework (including reading) for an 8-week course.

Is the average course load the same across two terms?

A normal undergraduate course load in a semester is 15-18 hours. Undergraduate students who wish to register for more than 18 semester credit hours …

How many credits is a 100% course load?

Course Load. An undergraduate student is expected to carry 12 to 18 credit hours of academic work per semester. The average semester load is 15 credits. A minimum enrollment of 12 credits per semester is required for eligibility for the most common forms financial aid. The Office of the Registrar restricts undergraduate student enrollment to a ...

How much time should I spend on coursework per week?

Course load equivalent in registered credits; Undergraduates without a permanent disability: At least 60% course load: At least 9 credits in each term: Undergraduates with a permanent disability: At least 40%: At least 6 credits in each term: Graduate student: Registered as a full-time student (show 100 per cent course load on OSAP application)

What is a normal course load in college?

Breaking it down further, most college courses at schools with semesters are worth three credit hours. So on average, you would expect to take five classes a semester. That's above the usual minimum, which is 12 hours, and below the maximum, which is normally 18.Oct 1, 2020

What is a typical course load?

If you can manage a full course load, it can be an important step toward graduating in a timely manner. If you're interested in finishing college in four years, one of the best ways to ensure a timely graduation is to take a full course load—meaning a minimum of 15 units per semester.Dec 9, 2016

Is 4 classes a semester too much?

Taking 12-15 credits is considered “full-time” in college lingo. That amounts to 4-5 classes, and for young students, that course load is really heavy (let's be honest, it's heavy for MOST students of any age).Jun 5, 2019

How many classes is a full course load?

5 courses
Taking on a full course load

In University Programs, a full course load is normally 5 courses per semester, or 15 semester credits. No students may register in more than 18 credits per semester.

Is 7 classes too much for college?

How many classes is too many? Taking 12-15 credits is considered “full-time” in college lingo. That amounts to 4-5 classes, and for young students, that course load is really heavy (let's be honest, it's heavy for MOST students of any age).Sep 12, 2019

How many hours a week should a student plan to study per credit in a 15 week course?

Therefore, a student carrying 15 credit hours should plan to spend 30 to 45 hours each week studying beyond the classroom. With a web class, it is calculated the same way, a 3 credit class requires an additional 2 hours of outside work per credit, which equates to 5 to 9 hours of work per week for the class.

How many hours do college students study per week?

According to one survey conducted by the National Survey of Student Engagement, most college students spend an average of 10–13 hours/week studying, or less than 2 hours/day and less than half of what is expected. Only about 11% of students spend more than 25 hours/week on schoolwork.

How many classes is too many in college?

Don't Take TOO Many Classes

While some students can handle 18 credits (or even more) in a single semester, you might feel more comfortable taking 12 to 15. This is especially the case if you're an upperclassman and taking much more difficult courses.
Feb 8, 2019

How much free time do college students have?

College students on average will have 3 to 5 hours of free time every day. On average, students can expect to spend 25-30 hours per week on class work. Upperclassmen will tend to have less free time because of harder classes. However, underclassmen will tend to have more free time due to easier classes.

What is 60 percent of a full course load?

For example, if a full course load for your program is 5 courses and you're taking 3 courses, that's 60% of a full course load. Your school determines the number of courses or credits that make up a 100% course load.Oct 15, 2012

Is 4 courses considered a full course load?

Three to five courses is usually considered full-time. If you drop below the minimum course load for full-time studies, you'll become a part-time student. This will affect your eligibility and Student Aid will reassess your account. You may be required to pay back some grant money.

How many courses should you take in university?

Most programs require 120 units for completion, this works out to 20 full-course equivalents. A four-year program is based on taking 30 units (5 full-course equivalents) per year. Typically, students can choose to take fewer courses per year, and extend the length of time it takes to complete their program.

How many credits do you need to get into I ntermediate honors?

Eligibility for Honors. In order to be a candidate for I ntermediate Honors, a student must earn 60 credits prior to the fifth semester. No more than 12 of the 60 required credits may be earned on a CR/NC basis.

How many credits do you need to be on probation?

Students are expected to remain in Good Academic Standing. Failure to carry the minimum of 12 credits for any reason, including illness or other personal circumstances (see below), will result in an Academic Probation.

Estimation Details

Somewhat surprisingly, there is very little research about the amount of time it takes the average college student to complete common academic tasks.

Bibliography

Aaronson, Doris, and Steven Ferres. “Lexical Categories and Reading Tasks.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 9, no. 5 (1983): 675–99. doi:10.1037/0096-1523.9.5.675.

Also on Rice Center for Teaching Excellence

"How much should I assign?" is one of the most basic questions teachers …

How many hours of work do you need to do a 3 semester course?

For example, in a 3 semester hour course, students should expect (on average) 6 additional hours of outside work per week or a total of around 9 hours per course per week if classroom time is included.

Why is student workload important?

Student Workload Guidelines. It is important to impress upon students the time and dedication required to become a successful student at the University of Iowa. New students are often unaware of University traditions and expectations, and it can be helpful to inform them of the credit hour to workload ratio and to remind them ...

What is considered a full time student?

A full-time student is one who is enrolled in a minimum of 60 percent course load.

How many credits can you register for a semester?

No students may register in more than 18 credits per semester. Exceptions to this rule require the written permission of the Dean of the discipline in which the student proposes to take most of the courses. Exempt from this rule are students in programs that require 18 or more semester credits.

What is the highest teaching load?

4-4. This is typically the highest teaching load you will find at a college or university. While many community college instructors will teach a higher 5-5 load, a 4-4 is the highest you tend to find in a four-year institution. A 4-4 load indicates an exclusively teaching assignment and would be most common for instructors, lecturers, ...

What is a 4-4 load?

A 4-4 load indicates an exclusively teaching assignment and would be most common for instructors, lecturers, and other non-tenure earning positions. There would be little to no expectation for research ...

What is a 3-3 faculty?

Many faculty teaching at small private universities or regional comprehensive universities hold a 3-3 load. As a result, the expectations for research are typically pretty minimal. For example, while some evidence of research might be expected for earning tenure, the primary criteria for tenure is teaching competence and excellence. However, unlike someone teaching a 4-4, faculty teaching a 3-3 are expected and often have quite high service expectations (advising, committees, and other important activities to support the work of the institution).

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Minimum and Maximum Credits Per Semester

  • Students must carry an average of 15 credits during each of their allotted eight semesters unless they have earned advanced placementor other credits before they arrive here, or unless they plan on attending a Summer Session. A minimum course load consists of 12 credits per semester and a maximum consists of 17. Students may not enroll in more than...
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Exceptions to Minimum and Maximum Credits Per Semester

  • In the event of illness or unusual personal circumstances students may adjust their schedule to carry fewer than 12 credits. However, students will still be put on Academic Probation for "low hours". This request must be approved by the Association Deanvia a written Petition form, available in 101 Monroe Hall. Course loads of greater than 17 credits must also be approved by t…
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Eligibility For Honors

  • In order to be a candidate for Intermediate Honors, a student must earn 60 credits prior to the fifth semester. No more than 12 of the 60 required credits may be earned on a CR/NC basis. Furthermore, students must have remained in good academic standing, advanced placement, dual enrollment and transfer credits do notcount toward the required credits.
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Eligibility For Financial Aid

  • For rules on financial aid eligibility consult the Student Financial Services Financial Aid web page.
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