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MU
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For Students > Current J-1
International students in F-1 or J-1 nonimmigrant status must take enough credits each semester to maintain full-time enrollment. In general, students should enroll in the following number of credits each fall and spring semester:
- Undergraduate students: Enroll in at least 12 credit hours
- Graduate students without an assistantship: Enroll in at least 9 credit hours
- Graduate students with an assistantship: Enroll in at least 6 credit hours
- Doctoral students who have passed comprehensive exams: Maintain continual doctoral enrollment (at least 2 credits in the Fall and Spring semesters, and 1 credit in the Summer sessions)
Please note that:
- Individual departments and/or the Graduate School may require students to take more credits.
- Enrollment as an auditor or hearer does not count toward full-time enrollment.
- Enrollment in "Exam Credit" does not count toward full-time enrollment.
There are certain situations in which a student can register for fewer credits than listed above. Immigration regulations allow for a reduced course load in the following situations:
- Initial academic difficulties in a student’s first or second semester (available one semester only)
- Temporary illness or medical condition (available one semester at a time, for a total of no more than one year)
- Final semester, if fewer courses are required to complete the degree
- After completion of required coursework for graduate students
To request a reduced course load if the circumstances allow, students should submit a Reduced Course Load form  to the International Center before dropping below the minimum credit requirements. Please refer to the Enrollment Guidelines Chart for more information.
Summer Session Enrollment
- International students who were enrolled at MU during the Spring semester are not required to enroll during the Summer semester. For example, if you were registered for classes in the Spring 2009 semester, you would not have to register for classes during the Summer 2009 session.
- MU requires that doctoral students who have passed comprehensive exams take at least one credit during the summer. Refer to the Graduate School for more information.
- If the summer session is a student’s first session at MU, the student must be enrolled full-time during the summer semester:
- A new graduate student must register for 4 credits during the summer
- A new undergraduate must enroll for 6 credits during the summer
Online Courses
- Only three online credits may be counted toward a student’s full-time enrollment requirements. For example, if an undergraduate wants to take 6 credits online, s/he must still take 9 credits in a classroom. Therefore, s/he will take 15 credits, but only 12 will count for Immigration.
Concurrent Enrollment
- Students may take classes at other schools while taking classes at MU.
- At least 50% of a student’s classes must be at MU.
The classes a student takes at another school will count toward her/his full-time enrollment requirement at MU as long as the student submits a Reduced Course Load form with confirmation of enrollment at the other school.
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