Definition of Full-Time

International students on F-1 or J-1 visas must maintain full-time enrollment to comply with immigration regulations.

Full-time registration for fall and spring is satisfied by ≥ 12 credit hours per semester if you are not supported by an assistantship, and ≥ 9 credit hours/semester if you are supported by an assistantship.

Due to the abbreviated nature of the winter and summer sessions, ≥ 3 credit hours are required for winter session and ≥ 6 credit hours within a single summer session, is full-time.

Full-Time Certification

Students who enroll part-time but require full-time status for loan purposes, immigration status, scholarships or other reasons must formally request full-time certification.

• As a doctoral student approaches the all-but-dissertation (ABD) status (e.g., is working on, or has completed a comprehensive exam or qualifying paper), their academic program calls for less than 9 credits of registration per term. Since the dissertation stage is typically a full-time endeavor, ABD students are often eligible for "certified full-time status" and may file for that status with the Graduate School as needed, and at the appropriate time in the student's academic program. Approved certification of full-time status allows the student to be considered a full-time student while enrolled in less than 9 credit hours.
• As a master's student approaches the culminating experience portion of their program (usually after about one year), their curricular requirements may call for less than 12 credits of registration per term. A master's student at the end of their program engaged in full-time academic work on the culminating experience (e.g., project, thesis or comprehensive exam) is eligible for "certified full-time status" and may file for that status with the Office of the Registrar as needed, and at the appropriate time in the student's academic program. Approved certification of full-time status allows the student to be considered a full-time student while enrolled in less than 12 credit hours.
• For international students in their final semester, the Reduced Course Load may be filed with International Student Services instead of the full-time certification. This form should only be used once. Only three credits of online course work per semester can count towards the full course of study requirement. See Maintaining Visa.

Eligibility for Full-Time Certification
1. Enrollment in PHC 615/616 (Master’s Project) 
and
2. Demonstration of Full-Time Academic Effort: You must be engaged in coursework and/or research that constitutes a full-time academic workload.

The department requires students to be full-time until they are done with their required coursework. Students must continue to register full time until the course requirements are met.

• MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences students must complete the following before they are permitted to register only for PHC 615/616 research credits (i.e., advance to candidacy):
  • Minimum 10 departmental didactic credit hours excluding research, laboratory courses, seminars and tutorials.
  • Minimum 5 credit hours from other departmental courses, laboratory courses and department electives.
• MS in Pharmacometrics and Personalized Pharmacotherapy students must remain full-time until all required courses are satisfied. 
• PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences students must remain full-time until:
  • The dissertation has been submitted to the Dissertation Committee 
  • The student has completed their Departmental Preliminary Examination.