Ohio University Policy on Quarterly Minimum and Maximum Credit Hour Enrollment

1. During the academic year

• students with a stipend and tuition scholarship must register for at least 12 credit hours.
• students supported by a college or university fellowship must register for at least 15 credit hours.
• students with a Graduate Recruitment Scholarship must register for at least 15 credit hours.

2. During the summer, students must register for at least 9 credit hours (this became effective Summer 2006).

3. MS thesis defense or graduation requires that you be registered for at least 1 credit hour of ChE 695 (Thesis) in the quarter in which you submit your thesis and graduate.

4. PhD dissertation defense or graduation requires that you be registered for at least 2 credit hours of ChE 895 (Dissertation) in the quarter in which you submit your dissertation and graduate.

5. Students on internship must register for at least 1 credit hour of "Chemical Engineering Graduate Internship" (CHE 692).

6. Registration for more than 18 credit hours in any one quarter requires permission and will result in additional tuition and fees that the student will have to pay.

OPIE English classes required for students with TOEFL scores below the university minimum do NOT count towards minimum enrollment for support.  Other English classes DO count, including writing and pronunciation courses.  Audit hours do not count toward the minimum enrollment for financial support.  Most students do not take the minimum number of credits in regular coursework each quarter.  Most students take 1 or more credit hours of CHE 695 (Thesis) or CHE 895 (Dissertation) to meet the minimum enrollment for financial support.

For international students, please check with International Student and Faculty Services to determine the minimum enrollment to maintain your visa status. Typically, it is 9 credit hours, but you will often be required to register for more depending on the type of support you are receiving as discussed above.  It is your responsibility to remain legally in the U.S.  If you are registered in Fall, Winter and Spring, you can typically keep your visa status without enrolling in summer. However, our department typically pays stipends over four quarters, and you must be registered for any quarter in which you receive support, including the summer.