Reduced Course Load
International students are required to be enrolled as a full-time student each Fall and Spring semester.
- Undergraduate students: 12 Credit hours (with at least 9 residential hours)
- Graduate students: 9 Credit hours (with at least 6 residential hours)
- Doctoral students: 6 Credit hours (with at least 3 residential hours)
You may receive approval to be enrolled in less than the required number of residential hours if you are in your final semester. You must be 100% completed with your program by the end of the semester for which you are requesting an RCL.
Summer enrollment counts as a semester but does not require an RCL. Students are also required to take at least one residential class in their final semester.
Authorizations for an RCL must be approved by the student’s International Student Advisor (ISA) prior to the reduction in course load. Dropping below full-time status without prior authorization may result in loss of status and may require the student to leave the United States or to apply for reinstatement with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office (USCIS).
Submit your RCL request by clicking on the link above. Your Academic Evaluator and the International Student Retention Specialist must approve this request. You will receive an email if clarification is required and once the request is approved or denied.