Full Course of Study Information for Faculty and Staff

All students in the United States on F-1 or J-1 student visas are required to complete full-time studies each semester.

Full-time enrollment for:

• Undergraduate students is 12 credit hours per semester
• LLM students is 10 credit hours per semester
• JD students is 12 credit hours per semester
• Graduate students is 6 credit hours per semester

Exceptions to the USCIS full-time requirement are made under certain circumstances. Students are always eligible to drop below full-time in their final term as long as they are completing the number of units required for their degree. Academic exceptions include improper course level placement and other academic difficulties that are outside of the student’s control. Medical reasons to drop below full-time vary, but require confirmation from a licensed medical professional that the student health will impact their academic ability. We recommend all academic advisors and professors to contact ISSS if there are any questions about a student’s full-time status or the reasons to drop below full-time. ISSS is required to clearly document any exceptions to the full-time rule.