Academic Credit Overload

Undergraduate Academic Credit Overload

Undergraduate students who enroll in more than 21 credits per term are considered to be in academic overload. PSU audit credits and transfer credit taken at other institutions while concurrently enrolled at PSU are counted in determining overload status. Transfer credits that result in an overload for a given term will not be accepted in transfer unless prior approval has been granted.

Academic overload must be approved on a term-by-term basis as follows:

•  22-25 credits: Students must obtain prior approval from their academic program adviser using the Overload Approval Form, to be submitted to the Office of the Registrar in advance of the overload term.
•  26 or more credits: Students must obtain prior permission from the Academic Requirements Committee (ARC) by submitting an ARC petition in advance of the overload term. Students must provide justification for the overload and obtain written support from their academic program adviser. Petitions must be submitted using the Academic Requirements Committee petition prior to the first day of the overload term.

Graduate Academic Credit Overload

Graduate students who enroll in more than 16 credits per term are considered to be in academic overload.

Academic overload must be approved in advance as follows:

•  17-19 credits: Students must obtain approval from the department head of their academic program using the Graduate Petition Form.
•  20 or more credits: Students must obtain approval from the chair of the graduate committee of their academic program and the dean of graduate studies using the Graduate Petition Form.