The unit of credit used in registration at Rutgers is based in part upon a measure
of time, with 1 credit equal to one class hour a week through a 15-week
semester. For a 3-credit course, a qualified and competent student should
require, on average, nine hours a week (in and out of classroom or laboratory)
to carry out the work expected. One credit of laboratory requires three class
hours of work per week. A full-time program is defined by the university as 9
credits per semester. The maximum program is normally 15 credits, although
under some circumstances registration for a maximum of 18 credits is permitted
upon recommendation by the student's adviser and with approval of the dean.
Fellows and assistants also must register their appointments according to
directions provided by the registrar at the time of registration and submit
form RT100 to the Office of Student Accounts. Students
with part-time employment outside the university who average 16 or more hours
per week may not register for more than 9 credits per semester. Students
employed 30 or more hours per week may not register for more than 6 credits per
semester. Employment of international students is restricted by federal
regulations; international students should consult with the Office of
International Student Services before undertaking employment of any kind to
ensure that their legal status permits it.
In
interpreting conflicts about program limits, the dean's office generally regards
35 to 40 hours a week as a full-time commitment, whether it occurs through
employment or through academic credits. The university assumes that the
enthusiastic participant is apt to devote well above this amount of time and
that formal commitments of time become more difficult to make as they
approach the upward limit of 60 hours of commitments with some combination of
academic study and employment.
