Courses: Course Load

A normal course load is 4.0 course credits.

• For first year students in their first semester, students are limited to a maximum of 4.5 course credits, 4.0 of which must be in full 1.0 credit courses.
• The use of partial credits in fulfilling a normal course load can have adverse consequences and should be carefully considered.
• The use of partial credit in constituting a normal course load could preclude your eligibility for Dean's List and Dean's List with Distinction. It could also compromise your application to graduate and professional schools.

An overload is a course load of 4.5 to 6.0 credits.

First semester at Duke:

• In your first semester at Duke (first-year student), you can enroll in a maximum of 4.0 credits.
• These credits must be full 1.0 credit courses.
• In some circumstances, you may be allowed to overload by taking one additional partial credit course (0.5 or 0.25). The maximum total credits for a first-year, first-semester student on an overload is 4.5. 

To request permission to overload from your quad advisor or academic dean, please submit the Request to Overload FORM.

After your first semester:

• You can enroll in 4.5 to 5.5 credits without a quad advisor or academic dean’s permission. Here's how:
  • During your registration window, you can only enroll in a maximum of 4.5 credits.
  • BUT you can the increase your course load to 5.5 credits once drop/add starts.
• Permission from your quad advisor or academic dean is required for a course load of more than 5.5 credits.
  • In determining whether to approve an overload of more than 5.5 course credits, your quad advisor or academic dean will carefully consider your academic history, including your grades and the number of courses you've taken in the past.
  • You will only be eligible to enroll in more than 5.5 credits if you have successfully completed a semester of 5 x 1.0 credit courses.
  • Your quad advisor or academic dean will only approve an overload to more than 5.5 credits after drop/add starts.

• You can underload no more than two semesters during your time at Duke
  • so you can withdraw to an underload once and then enroll in an underload in another semester
  • OR you can enroll in an underload twice, as long as you haven't withdrawn to an underload.
• If you are in an underload you are still considered a full-time degree candidate at Duke
• You may not include an audited course among the credits that comprise the underload

NOTE: If you enroll in an underload without your academic dean's authorization you will be blocked from registering for courses in the next semester until the last freshman window has closed and drop/add has begun.

You are permitted to withdraw to an underload only once in your academic career.

• During the semester, your Academic Dean may permit you to withdraw from a normal course load to an underload before the withdrawal deadline which is 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the date four weeks before the end of classes in a semester.
• The only exception to this policy is when a student is granted special permission to withdraw from a course to an underload for medical reasons (see Course: Withdrawal for details).
• Medical withdrawals are subject to the same deadline as all other course withdrawals, i.e., 11:59 p.m. (ET) a date four weeks before the last day of classes.  

NOTE: Withdrawal from a course in the summer is not subject to the underload policy (see Summer Session for applicable policies).

Merit scholars at Duke are permitted only one underload in your Duke careers. Exceptions to this rule will be made only in extraordinary circumstances and must be authorized by the Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows.

See also:

• Compliance with Academic Regulations
• Withdrawal from a Course
• Ninth Semester of Enrollment
• Part-Time Degree Status

• You can underload no more than two semesters during your time at Duke, e.g.:
  • You can withdraw to an underload once and then still enroll in an underload in a later semester
  • OR you can enroll in an underload twice (one of which can be your last semester), BUT this will only be allowed if you haven't withdrawn to an underload.
• If you are in an underload you are still considered a full-time degree candidate at Duke
• You may not include an audited course among the credits that comprise the underload

NOTE: If you enroll in an underload without your academic dean's authorization you will be blocked from registering for courses in the next semester until the last registration window has closed and drop/add has begun.

To enroll in an underload, you must meet the following criteria for eligibility:

• have declared a major.
• have a GPA of at least 3.0 and not be on academic probation.
• be enrolled on campus at Duke—enrolling in an underload is not permitted when studying away.
• for a 1st underload semester: have already passed at least 16 credits.
• for a 2nd underload semester: have passed at least 20 credits prior to the 6th semester or 24 prior to the 7th semester (excluding AP, IPC, and PMC credits but including transfer credits) or 31 prior to the 8th semester (including AP, IPC, PMC and transfer credits).
• and all three (3) courses in an enrolled underload must be 1.0 credit courses (no half credit courses allowed) and must be taken for a letter grade, unless that course is only offered as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.

Procedure:

If you meet these requirements and wish to start a semester enrolled in an underload follow these steps (in order):

1. First, submit this form to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) in your major for approval that the underload will not inhibit completion of major requirements.
2. Second, submit the signed form to get approval from your Academic Dean. 

The deadline to request to underload is by 11:59 p.m. (ET) pm on the last day of drop/add.

Cautions Regarding Enrolling in an Underload

Please consider whether a semester of enrollment in an underload might affect:

• scholarship or financial aid—check the conditions of the award
• subsequent application to graduate or professional school—consult a graduate or pre-professional school advisor

See also:

• Compliance with Academic Regulations
• Withdrawal from a Course
• Ninth Semester of Enrollment
• Part-Time Degree Status