Undergraduate Credit Overload Process
Undergraduate students who intend to apply for a credit overload must complete and return the online Credit Overload Application Form to the Registrar’s Office. The Credit Overload Application can be found in myHill > Offices > Registrar > Credit Overload Application.
To qualify for a Credit Overload, students must meet the following criteria:
- The student must have earned at least a 3.30 cumulative or semester GPA by the end of the Fall or Spring semester prior to the semester in which the student wants to overload.
- The Credit Overload Applications must be approved and signed by their advisor.
- Students are responsible for any additional tuition costs associated with the credit overload.
Students who do not meet the criteria will not be allowed to overload. Exceptions to the GPA rule may be granted by the Office of Academic Services & Advising for students in the final year.
In order to give all students a chance to register for a full course-load, credit overloads will not be processed until the week before the semester classes begin. Exceptions may be made for Internships, Directed Studies, Independent Research and any other class not impacted by class size (i.e. Chapel Choir...etc.)
| DEGREE/MAJOR | First Year | Sophomore, Junior & Senior Year |
|---|---|---|
| B.S. & B.A. in: Actuarial Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, 3-2 Engineering, Environmental Studies, Health Science, Mathematics, Photonics, or Physics and B.S. in Neuroscience |
May register for up to 18 credits. Students may apply for up to two 1-credit courses in a semester with a Credit Overload Application (COA) - up to max of 19 credits | May register for up to 18 credits without permission. Credit Overload Application & additional charges* apply for anything over 18 credits except for automatically exempted courses** |
| B.S.B.A & other B.A. programs not listed above | May register for up to 17 credits. Students may apply for up to two 1-credit courses in a semester with a Credit Overload Application (COA) - up to max of 18 credits | May register for up to 17 credits without permission. Credit Overload Application & additional charges* apply for anything over 17 credits except for automatically exempted courses** |
*The overload rate is per credit and is determined each academic year.
**The following One-credit courses are exempt from overload charges:
- APL 090 (IDEAS)
- CAT 101 (Chapel Choir)
- VPD 357 (Dance Company)
- VPD 358 (Dance Company Production)
- VPM 133 (Collegiate Chorale)
- VPM 134 (Concert Ensemble)
- VPM 135 (Music Technology Ensemble)
- VPM 139 (Guitar Ensemble)
- VPT 225 (Play Production)
Required ROTC Military Science courses will be automatically approved as overload, but the credit limits for tuition still apply.
Courses taken through the SACHEM or other consortium programs count toward the credit limits for tuition.
Waivers of credit overload fees: for courses not automatically exempted (above) may be requested by students via the following process:
Step 1: The student will submit a written request for a waiver to the appropriate Dean of School listing the course that will cause the overload and that briefly describes why they must overload to meet the curricular requirements of their degree, including what prohibits them from taking the course in another semester.
Step 2: The waiver request will then be reviewed by the appropriate Dean of School. If the Dean of School supports the waiver, it is forwarded to the Vice President of Finance and Treasurer for approval. The Vice President for Finance and Treasurer will inform the student and appropriate Dean, in writing, of the final determination of the overload waiver request.
Note: Overload fee waivers for 3 and 4-credit courses will not normally be granted.
Appeal Process:
Students whose request for a waiver is not supported by the Dean of School may appeal that decision to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs. In this case, if the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs supports the waiver, it is submitted to the Vice President of Finance and Treasurer for
approval. The Vice President for Finance and Treasurer will inform the student and appropriate Dean, in writing, of the final determination of the overload waiver request.
The Registrar's Office works to safeguard the accuracy, integrity, confidentiality and security of the student information system and of students' academic records; and to provide the accurate and timely dissemination of course and scheduling information.