Normal Course Load

The normal course load at Beloit College is 4.00-4.25 units. To be considered full-time, students must be registered for at least 3 units, unless they have received approval from their advisor and the Registrar. To be considered half-time, a student must be registered for at least 1.50 units. Prior to the first class day for any given term, students may register for a maximum of 4.75 units.

Requesting Course Overload

On or after the first class day for any given term, students wishing to elect units in excess of 4.75 may do so with the written authorization of both the major advisor and the Registrar (via an add/drop card). Such approval requires that the student have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.200 and no incompletes, and shall be made only after evaluating the student’s academic progress and the reasonableness of the student’s program.

No student may register for more than 5.50 units in either the fall or the spring term. Students seeking an exception to this policy may petition the Academic Performance Committee.

Deadlines for Overload Petitions

Special note: The deadline for petitions is the first class day of the term.

Overload petitions must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM on the deadline for  the semester in which the student wishes to pursue a course overload. Students are encouraged to submit requests well before this deadline and may submit them as early as the week after the initial online preregistration period closes for the semester. The Academic Performance Committee will review overload petitions on a rolling basis at its regularly scheduled meetings.

Students should check with the Dean of Students Office, if they have questions about deadlines.

Request for an Exception

If a student with a cumulative GPA below 3.200 wants to register for more than 4.75 units OR if any student wants to register for more than 5.50 units:

1. Obtain the Course Overload Petition form.
2. A student initiates the process by completing the first section of the form, saving it, and then sending the saved form as an attachment to their advisor.
3. The advisor fills out the advisor section, saves the form, and sends the newly saved form as an attachment to the Academic Performance Committee via deanstu@beloit.edu
4. The student and advisor are encouraged to attach additional documentation, if necessary, to explain the request.