Credit Overload

Academically successful undergraduate students who wish to take more than 18 credits can request to take over that limit by submitting a credit overload request to their academic dean's office. Students who are on probation or warning are not allowed a credit overload over the 13 hour limitation. Please see below for additional policies and the process for requesting a credit overload.

Requesting a Credit Overload

  1. Review all policies below pertaining to requesting credit overloads.
  2. Fill out a Credit Overload Request form.
  3. Contact your academic department to set up an appointment with an advisor.  The Credit Overload form requires an advisor's signature.
  4. Submit your completed request and supporting documentation to the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office.
  5. Submit your request in a timely manner.  Students should submit their requests to the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office well before the beginning of the semester in which the overload is being requested to allow adequate time to review the student’s record.
  6. If approved for an overload, the student is responsible for adding into the additional class(es) and paying for the additional class(es) by the official university deadlines.

Credit Overload Policies

Students in good standing (GPA at or above 2.0) are eligible to enroll in up to 18 hours of coursework per semester. In exceptional circumstances, students may request an overload of the maximum credit hours allowed to undergraduate students.

In order to be considered for an overload, students must fulfill all of the following criteria:

  • Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher;
  • Have completed the prior semester with a 2.5 GPA or higher, with no grade below a C;
  • Have demonstrated in prior semesters at Mason the ability to handle an increased and demanding courseload while maintaining high performance;
  • Have no remaining incompletes (INs) from a previous semester;
  • Must have an established academic history at Mason.  Freshmen and transfer students in their first semesters are not allowed to take a course overload.

 

Students requesting a spring overload who are participating in a winter study abroad program should be aware that their request will not be seen as a “special case” and will be reviewed in the same manner as all other credit overloads.

Students have the right to appeal denial of a request. Information on submitting an appeal can be found at the bottom of the page