Academic Advising and Full-time Enrollment

Academic Advising

When you arrive at UMass Dartmouth for the semester, if you still need to select your courses, you can:

• Attend academic advising sessions
• Consult course catalogs
• Discuss your options with academic advisors

New Undergraduate students typically register for classes during Orientation.  You will be notified of special group sessions.

New Graduate students typically register for classes by consulting with the director of their graduate program or with their assigned advisor.

• There is no formal schedule for meeting with your academic advisor during Orientation; so, you can email ahead and make an appointment after Orientation with your academic department or graduate program.  Some departments will arrange to register you for your classes by email.
• Look up your academic department or graduate program.

The International Student & Scholar Center (ISSC) can explain academic requirements only in general terms; we can't help you choose your courses.

Full-time enrollment

International students on an F-1 or J-1 visa must enroll full time to keep your visa in status.

• For undergraduates and Law School students, this means a minimum of 12 credits a semester.
• Graduate students must carry a minimum of nine credits.  For additional information see Graduate Studies.
• A special note about online courses:  U.S. Immigration regulations allow only one online three-credit class per semester.  If you need only one course to complete your program of studies, that course cannot be online or distance learning. 

Courses outside your program

While meeting your departmental/graduation requirements will fill up most of your course schedule each semester, as time permits, you may take any course the university offers if you have

• The necessary background
• Sufficient space in the class (most classes have a maximum number of students). 

Less-than-full-time enrollment

There are a few circumstances where international students may request permission to reduce their course load. This must be discussed with the International Student & Scholar Center (ISSC) before withdrawing from any classes.