International students in F-1 or J-1 status are required by law to register for and complete a full course load every semester.
Undergraduate Students:
- Minimum 12 semester credit hours in Fall & Spring semesters
- 9 semester credit hours must be on ground / face-to-face
- 3 semester credit hours may be fully online
Students may take more than 12 credit hours, but regulations still require at least 9 of the credit hours must be on ground / face-to-face. HYBRID or BLENDED courses are considered on ground / face-to-face. If you are F-1 or J-1 student, classes coded as "HYFLEX" must be taken in person.
Graduate Students:
- Minimum 9 semester credit hours in Fall & Spring semesters
- 6 semester credit hours must be on ground / face-to-face
- 3 semester credit hours may be fully online
Students may take more than 12 credit hours, but regulations still require at least 9 of the credit hours must be on ground / face-to-face. HYBRID or BLENDED courses are considered on ground / face-to-face. If you are F-1 or J-1 student, classes coded as "HYFLEX" must be taken in person.
You must obtain approval from UMSL Global in order to enroll less than full-time. Failure to comply with this regulation may result in the termination of your F-1 or J-1 visa status.
Enrolling less than full time:
If you wish to enroll less than full time in a Fall or Spring semester, you must obtain permission for a Reduced Course Load authorization from UMSL Global. Your eligibility to enroll less than full time is only permissible under the following circumstances:
- You are a first or second semester UMSL student and you are having difficulties with the English language or reading requirements (Note: students are only eligible once for under-enrollment due to academic difficulties during their program of study. In general, this is not an option available for graduate students).
- You are a first or second semester UMSL student and you are having difficulties with adjusting to American teaching methods or the U.S. educational system (Note: students are only eligible once for under-enrollment due to academic difficulties during their program of study. In general, this is not an option available for graduate students.)
- You were improperly advised to enroll in the wrong course (Note: students are only eligible once for under-enrollment due to academic difficulties during their program of study.)
- You have unavoidable medical problems which requires a temporary reduction in your courseload (Note: students are only eligible once for under-enrollment due to academic difficulties during their program of study.)
- You are in your final semester prior to graduation, and you need less than and full-time course load to satisfy your degree requirements.
Please keep in mind that you must obtain approval for a reduced course load for any of the above circumstances. Applications for a reduced course load is subject to approval by UMSL Global and decisions are final. Students must complete Reduced Course Load request in MyGlobal.
For more information, please contact Lenka Garimella at lenka.garimella@umsl.edu.
Equivalency Hours for Graduate Students:
Equivalency hours help graduate students maintain full-time status when they are not enrolled in the required number of credit hours. You may be eligible for equivalency hours if:
- You are a graduate student working full-time on your thesis or research. (Note: Check if you qualify for G-14, as students in this situation may be eligible for graduate equivalency hours.)
- You hold a graduate assistantship appointment and qualify for equivalency hours. (Note: Your department must submit a request to the Graduate School through the GATS web app.
Students must initiate the request for equivalency hours through their department, which then submits it to the Graduate School for processing.
For more information, please contact gradschool@umsl.edu.
