Quantity of Work Rule
The policies described in this section apply to to undergraduate, graduate, Pharm.D., and law students.
Full-Time and Half-Time Enrollment
A student’s enrollment status is determined by the number of credit hours for which the student is enrolled in residence in a semester. University Extension semester-based coursework is included in the total along with in-residence coursework. Semesters include multiple subterms. Fall and Winter Terms are subterms included in Fall Semester enrollment while Spring and May Terms are subterms included in Spring Semester enrollment. First Term, Second Term, Nine-Week Term, and Summer Term are subterms included in Summer Semester enrollment. The following table shows the minimum number of hours required.1
Enrollment Status
Fall or Spring
| Undergraduates | Graduate students | Pharm.D. students | Law students | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | 12 hours | 9 hours | 9 hours | 10 hours |
| Half-time | 6 hours | 5 hours | 5 hours | 5 hours |
Summer
| Undergraduates | Graduate students | Pharm.D. students | Law students | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | 12 hours | 3 hours | 3 hours | 6 hours |
| Half-time | 6 hours | 2 hours | 2 hours | 3 hours |
A student is also considered to be enrolled full-time if enrolled in a cooperative engineering course, taking a reduced course load because of a documented disability, or enrolled in a specific course that carries no hours of credit. An undergraduate enrolled in at least six hours of coursework in the student's semester of graduation may also be considered full-time; the student’s dean must submit a request to the registrar’s office that the student’s enrollment status be changed from half-time to full-time.
Course Load Reduction
Approval of requests for course load reductions are always the prerogative of the academic dean when medical reasons are given. Applications to request consideration of a course load reduction should be submitted to Disability and Access. Disability and Access will request a recommendation from the UHS executive director and chief medical officer. Once the executive director and chief medical officer signs the application, UHS will submit it to the appropriate dean's office for a final decision.
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Graduate Quantity of Work rules apply to the Pharm.D. program.
Maximum Hours in the Fall and Spring Semesters
Undergraduates. An undergraduate student may not register for more than 17 semester hours in any fall or spring semester without the approval of their dean, unless the degree plan published in the undergraduate catalog for the student’s major specifies otherwise.
Graduate students. The maximum course load for a graduate student is 15 semester hours. A heavier course load must have the recommendation of the graduate advisor and the approval of the graduate dean. It is permitted only under exceptional circumstances.
Pharm.D. students. A Pharm.D. student must register for a minimum of 12 semester hours and may not register for more than 17 semester hours in any fall or spring semester without the approval of their dean, unless the degree plan published in the undergraduate catalog for the Pharm.D. major specifies otherwise.
Law students. The maximum course load for a law student is 16 semester hours. In rare situations, the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs may, for good cause shown, permit a student to register for a maximum of 17 hours. Law students may take courses in other schools and colleges only with the express prior permission of the dean. Normally, a student may not take a course in another school or college, except an ROTC course, in addition to the maximum load in the School of Law.
Maximum Hours in the Summer Semester
Undergraduates. Except as permitted by their academic dean, no undergraduate student may register for more than 14 semester hours in a 12 week summer semester or for more than eight semester hours in either six-week term. A student whose maximum period of summer registration is nine weeks may not register for more than ten semester hours except as permitted by their academic dean.
Graduate students. The maximum course load for a graduate student is 12 semester hours in a 12 week summer semester. A heavier course load must have the recommendation of the graduate advisor and the approval of the graduate dean. It is permitted only under exceptional circumstances.
Pharm.D. students. A Pharm.D. student must register for a minimum of 3 semester hours in a 12 week summer semester, beginning the summer preceding the third professional year.
Law students. The maximum course load for a law student is 16 semester hours in a 12-week summer semester. In rare situations, the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs may, for good cause shown, permit a student to register for a maximum of 17 hours. Law students may take courses in other schools and colleges only with the express prior permission of the dean. Normally, a student may not take a course in another school or college, except an ROTC course, in addition to the maximum load in the School of Law.
Minimum Hours in the Fall and Spring Semesters
Undergraduates. An undergraduate student may not carry fewer than 12 semester hours of coursework without the approval of their academic dean. Failure to obtain approval for a reduced course load may jeopardize the student’s continuance in school. A student who is a minor must present a written statement from a parent or guardian accepting the conditions under which permission to carry a reduced course load is granted.
An international undergraduate student must have written permission from the International Office as well as from their dean to carry fewer than 12 hours.
Graduate students. Course load requirements for graduate student academic employees are given on that page in this section. Graduate students who are not also academic employees are not subject to minimum course load requirements.
An international graduate student must have written permission from the International Office as well as from their dean to carry fewer than nine hours.
Pharm.D. students. A Pharm.D. student must register for a minimum of 12 semester hours in any fall or spring semester.
Law students. A first-year law student may not register for less than 16 hours in the first fall or spring semester nor less than 14 hours in the second fall or spring semester without special permission of the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. A minimum load of 10 semester hours is required of all other law students with 20 semester hours of credit or more.
Minimum Hours in the Summer Semester
There is no minimum course load in the summer semester.
Undergraduate Student Employees
An undergraduate student’s combined University employment and semester-hour course load may not exceed 40 hours a week in any semester. Any academic unit may require a lower work-study load of students in the unit who are employed by the University. A student who wishes to exceed the maximum work-study load set by their college must have the approval of the dean of the college. More information is available at the student employment website.
Graduate Student Academic Employees
A “graduate student academic employee” is a graduate student who is also employed by the University under one of the following titles: assistant instructor, teaching assistant, assistant (graduate), academic assistant, graduate research assistant, and tutor (graduate). To hold one of these positions, a student must have no unfulfilled conditions imposed by the Graduate School, must be in good academic standing, and must be making satisfactory progress toward a degree. Graduate student academic employees must be registered for at least nine semester hours in a fall or spring semester or at least three semester hours in a summer semester, in any combination of summer terms.
Student employment at UT Austin in any student academic job title may not total more than 20 hours a week during the student’s first two fall or spring semesters of enrollment or more than 30 hours a week during subsequent fall or spring semesters. International student employment may not total more than 20 hours a week during any fall or spring semester without the approval of the International Office and the graduate dean.
Graduate student academic employees may not accept payment from a student for tutoring services, except on the recommendation of the department chair and with the approval of the graduate dean. If approved, the student may tutor only in a course with which they have no connection.