Fall or Spring Semester/Term
Students can take a maximum 18 credits during the fall or spring semester/term. Any student who wishes to take more than 18 credits during the fall or spring semester/term must submit a credit overload form and have earned a minimum 3.000 cumulative GPA on the UW-Madison campus. No student may carry more than 20 total credits during the fall or spring semester/term.
Summer Sessions
There are three (3) rules for summer sessions for L&S students taking courses at UW-Madison.
- First, students can take a maximum of 12 credits during the summer session. In a rare situation a student may be authorized to take 13 credits. Students, however, cannot be authorized to take more than 13 credits during the summer session.
- Second, there are credit limits by session. Students may enroll for one (1) credit per week of instruction per session with the exception of the eight-week general session. That session allows for 9 credits over the eight week period. For example, a student can earn 3 credits during a 3-week session, but needs approval to earn 4 credits during a 3-week session. Deans can add one more credit to a session. Students cannot earn 5 credits during a 3-week session. The enrollment system does not allow students to enroll for more credits than their credit limit. If students are taking summer courses at another institutions, credit limits by session do not apply to them.
- Third, any student wishing a credit overload during the summer must have a 3.000 cumulative GPA on the UW-Madison campus.
General Reminder
Please note that additional fees are assessed for credit overloads on a per credit basis. See tuition rates for additional information about fees associated with credit overloads.
If you do not plan to complete the additional credits, you should make sure to drop the course by the appropriate 100 percent or 50 percent refund deadline or you will still be held financially responsible for the fees associated with the credit overload. Deadline information can be found at dates & deadlines.
Please do not submit this form if:
- you are not an L&S undergraduate student
- you do not yet have a GPA at UW-Madison
- your cumulative GPA is below 3.000
Credit overloads will incur additional tuition costs. Visit Tuition & Fees for more information about tuition and fees.
Please make sure that you print a copy of the information you have submitted for your records. It could take up to ten (10) business days for your request to get reviewed and processed. For additional information about credit limits, see credit load and ranges.
Credit Overload
This form allows you to request an exception to take 19 or 20 credits in the fall or spring term. No student may carry more than 20 total credits during the fall or spring term. A maximum of 13 credits may be taken during the summer term. Please note that it could take up to ten (10) business days for your request to get reviewed and processed.