The designation of students as full- or part-time is necessary for the regulations governing tuition charges, student fees, statistical records, time limits for degrees, residence requirements, and any other issues affected by such status. For most purposes, a student who has registered for 9 or more credits has full-time status, and a student registered for 8 or fewer credits has part-time status.
In addition to regular course work, the following also are included in the calculation of credits: research courses, regular courses taken not-for-credit, and graduate and teaching assistantships (usually 6 credits each). Graduate and teaching assistants must remain in good standing in their own programs. In addition to their half-time academic appointments, assistants are required to register for a minimum of 6 credits of course work or research, which qualifies them for full-time status.
