Credit Hour and Credit Load 

A credit hour is defined as 50 minutes of lecture or discussion/recitation per week for 16 weeks (800 minutes in a semester), 100 minutes of laboratory per week for 16 weeks (1600 minutes in a semester) when outside preparation is required, or 150 minutes of laboratory per week for 16 weeks (2400 minutes in a semester) when no outside preparation is required. For workload planning purposes (and to graduate with 120 credits in eight semesters), students should plan on completing an average of 15 credits per semester and should expect each credit hour to require approximately two to three hours (for some students, in some classes, more time and in a few classes, less time) of effort per week to attend classes and to accomplish readings and out-of-class assignments in preparation for successful completion of the course requirements.

Undergraduate Classification 

Student level (class) is determined by the number of credits at CSU and credits accepted in transfer. Transfer credits may or may not be acceptable in meeting degree requirements.

Student Level Semester Credits

Student Level Semester Credits
Freshman 0-29
Sophomore 30-59
Junior 60-89
Senior 90 and over

Enrollment Status   

Enrollment status (full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, less than half-time) is determined by the number of credits the student has completed or is pursuing for the term in which the verification is requested. Courses the student has withdrawn from and courses the student is auditing are not included. (The following schedule for enrollment status differs from the full-time/part-time schedule for tuition and fees.)

Credit requirements are as follows:

Fall/Spring/Summer Semesters:

Undergraduate Students

Full-time 12 or more credits
Three-quarter time 9-11 credits
Half-time 6-8 credits
Less than half-time 5 credits or less

 Graduate Students

Full-time 9 or more credits
Three-quarter time 7-8 credits
Half-time 5-6 credits
Less than half-time 4 credits or less

For verification of enrollment status, go to RAMweb and select Menu, then Records, and then Enrollment Verification. For more information, visit the Office of the Registrar website.

Groups such as co-op programs may have a different definition of enrollment status and should be verified with the program.