Overload Approval

Overload Approval Form located on Registration Forms Online Page 

During pre-registration, students may register for up to 18 credits. This is allow all students to register for a full load before any student may register for additional courses.

Once all students have had the opportunity to register for a full load, students may register for up to 20 credits without special permission. Registration for more than 20 credits requires advisor approval; please complete the Overload Approval Form, which will then be sent to your advisor(s). You may need to meet with your advisor before they can approve the overload. They may also deny the overload.

Registration for 22 or more credits requires both your advisor’s approval and permission from the Registrar, who will review the information on the Overload Approval Form along with your academic record and will assess your level of preparedness for the requested overload. You may be required to meet with the Registrar in person, and permission for course overloads may be denied.

Please note that receiving approval to take an overload is not the same as registering for the additional courses. As there are no more add cards, students will need to register for the class themselves on Self-Service, once the overload is approved. It is therefore important that students do not delay in submitting the form. 

Each overload form must be accompanied by a brief statement explaining why you are seeking this overload. It should include information about other time commitments (e.g., athletics, student organizations, on-campus or off-campus employment, etc.) and how you expect to integrate additional time for academics into your schedule. If we assume that a regular 16 credit class schedule is the equivalent of a full-time job (defined as 35 hours per week and up), then for a 20 credit schedule you are expected to work 25% more hours; for a 22 credit class schedule you are expected to work 37.5% more hours; and for a 24 credit class schedule you are expected to work 50% more hours. This “overtime” and your ability to integrate it into your overall schedule is an important factor in determining whether or not an overload is appropriate for you.

Overload requests that do not include this statement will not be considered. Students should be aware that if they wait until the last minute it may not be possible for their application to be completed and reviewed before the add deadline.