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There are a few exceptions to taking 12 credit hours. Students who meet the following exceptions will still be considered "full time." Please note that the Grainger College of Engineering has criteria that supersedes the University Code (Article 3, Part 3) and Graduate College (Chapter 2, Section 2.2), which is reflected below:
Students can reduce to 9 credit hours in the following scenarios:
- Students holding an assistantship(s) of 25% or greater.
Students who are required to take an English as a Second Language (ESL) course.
Thesis students (both MS & PhD) who have completed all their degree requirements except their thesis or dissertation as long as they meet all of the following criteria:
are in Good Academic Standing
do not hold a tuition-waiver generating appointment (e.g., as a result of the 5-year PhD funding guarantee, etc.)
and meet the required minimum credit hours by registering only for thesis research.
Non-thesis students in their final term:
- May sign up for only the courses needed for graduation. International students in this situation must seek approval in this case through ISSS; Domestic students do not.
*Students in the MS Industrial Engineering Online program do not need to take a full course load of 12 credit hours and will typically take 1-2 courses (4-8 credit hours) per semester.
It . It is always a good idea to reference the ISSS ISSS website for for additional information on F-1/J-1 regulations on maintaining a full course of study.
Below is a flow-chart that will help you determine the number of credit hours you must sign up for, based on University, Grainger, and ISSS regulations:
| Tuition-waiving appointment (25% or more)? | Yes | PhD & MS Thesis Students must sign up for minimum of 9 credit hours (can be all thesis if last term/all coursework required) MS Non-Thesis Students must sign up for minimum of 9 credit hours MS Online Students (thesis or non-thesis) not required to sign up for a minimum number of credit hours and will typically take 1-2 courses (4-8 credit hours) per semester | ||
| No | Last term/all degree requirements complete except thesis/dissertation requirements (if applicable)? | Yes | PhD & MS Thesis Students must sign up for minimum of 9 credit hours. You will be issued a college-issued stand-alone tuition waiver. Email ise-grad@illinois.edu to formally request this stand-alone tuition waiver by the first day of courses in your last term. To be eligible for the college-issued stand-alone tuition waiver, you must be:
MS Non-Thesis Students May sign up for only the courses needed for graduation. International students in this situation must seek approval in this case through ISSS; Domestic students do not. MS Online Students (thesis or non-thesis) not required to sign up for a minimum number of credit hours and will typically take 1-2 courses (4-8 credit hours) per semester | |
| No | PhD & MS Thesis Students must sign up for a minimum of 12 credit hours or 9 credit hours if you’re taking a required ESL course MS Non-Thesis Students must sign up for a minimum of 12 credit hours or 9 credit hours if you’re taking a required ESL course MS Online Students (thesis or non-thesis) not required to sign up for a minimum number of credit hours and will typically take 1-2 courses (4-8 credit hours) per semester | |||
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