Engineering Credit Overload

College of Engineering Credit Overload Procedure

Link to credit overload request form >>

NOTE: Per university policy, credit overload requests will not be reflected in your Spire until the first day of the semester (for classes taking place that semester).

Fall or Spring Semester

  • Credit overload request reviews begin mid-May for the fall semester and continue all summer.  
  • Credit overload request reviews begin in early January for the spring semester and continue through winter break. 

You will be notified of the decision once your request has been reviewed.

NOTE: Per university policy, credit overload requests will not be reflected in your Spire until the first day of the semester (for classes taking place that semester).

If you are full time and want to take more than 19 credits, you MUST request a credit overload. The following are general guidelines used in determining if a credit overload is warranted:

  • 3.0 minimum GPA for 20 credits
  • 3.3 minimum GPA for 21 credits
  • 3.5 minimum GPA for 22 credits
  • 3.7 minimum GPA for 23-27 credits

No overloads over 27 credits will be allowed. No overloads will be approved if students have any Incomplete grades. No credit overloads will be approved for first-semester students. No credit overloads will be approved for students on academic warning or probation.

These are guidelines and are only one item factored into a decision - a 3.3 GPA doesn't necessarily guarantee approval of 21 credits. If approved for a credit overload, students are not allowed to register for the extra courses via SPIRE until the first day of classes for the requested semester.

Credit overloads will not be approved for the current semester for work done previously (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer). For example, if a student does an internship/independent study during the Summer, credits must be arranged through Continuing and Professional Education. It is not possible for work done in the summer to be reflected as credits earned in the Fall.

 

Winter/Summer terms

For Summer/Winter Credit Overload requests, please contact jhoke [at] umass [dot] edu (Julia Hoke). As a general rule, credit overloads will not be considered for students whose GPA is below 3.0 or if there is an incomplete (INC) grade from a previous semester.

For Summer session, the maximum credit load is 16 credits total and not to exceed 8 credits in any session. Additional credits require overload approval from your academic dean and will only be granted for extenuating circumstances.

Students taking online courses need to be aware that excellent time management and study skills are required.

In Winter session, over 8 credits constitutes an overload.  NOTE: the Winter session is extremely intensive.  You should expect to have to put in at least 40 hours of course work per week, per course! It is VERY unusual for COE to allow a credit overload for winter session - a student would have to have VERY extenuating circumstances to appeal.

Credit overloads will not be approved for the current semester for work done previously (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer). For example, if a student does an internship/independent study during the Summer, credits must be arranged through Continuing and Professional Education. It is not possible for work done in the summer to be reflected as credits earned in the Fall.