As an international student on a student visa, you must always be enrolled in the required minimum number of credits at all points during the semester unless you receive permission from ISSS to take a Reduced Course Load.
Undergraduate Students: 12 credits per semester
Graduate School Students: 9 credits per semester
If few than 9 credits pers semester, you must have a full-time override from your department
Continuous enrollment with a full-time override
International students are required to take a certain number of their credits as in-person. This means there are limitations on the number of online credits you can count towards your full-course requirement.
Undergraduate students: You must be enrolled in at least 9 in-person credits.
Graduate students: You must be enrolled in at least 6 in-person credits or be in thesis/dissertation credits or continuous enrollment
It is important that you are extremely cautious when dropping in-person credits if you choose to enroll in more than 3 online credits during a semester. You will still be responsible for having the correct ratio of in-person to online courses for your full-course requirement. Carefully review this policy and consult with an ISSS advisor to ensure you will be in compliance with this requirement after the credits are dropped.
No. You cannot be online only in your final term. You must have an in-person course.
F-1 Students:
If you have no intention of using OPT, you can leave the U.S. and finish your final summer/online term abroad.
If you have no intention of using AT, you can leave the U.S. and finish your final summer/online term abroad.
If you want to use AT, you should review the AT information.
Continuing students are not required to enroll during summer/winter, and there is no full course of study minimum for the summer/winter term.
Students who are starting at the UMass for the first time during the summer MUST enroll full-time and meet the in-person course requirements. If you wish to start your program in the summer, you should carefully review the available course options with your academic advisor/department to ensure you can enroll in enough courses to fulfill your enrollment requirements.
UMass international students cannot start during the winter term.
International students are expected to complete all courses, including those taken online, during the semester for which they are registered. You cannot, therefore, count an extended-term course and an incomplete course toward your full course of study credit minimum in any semester other than the one in which you registered for it, as indicated by your transcript.
Yes, but audited courses do NOT count toward your full course of study requirement. You may only audit a class if you are already enrolled in your required minimum number of credits.
No. As long as you are approved for your reduced course load, your CPT, OPT, and AT eligibility remains intact.
No. You are not eligible if you are leaving the U.S. and your immigration record must be terminated. A medical reduced course load is only for students who need to remain in the U.S. for medical treatment. Once you are ready to return, we can work with you to get a new immigration document.
