UW-Madison undergraduate students who enroll in 12-18 credits during the Fall or Spring Term or who enroll in 6-12 credits in the Summer Term are considered full-time students.  

Students may enroll in fewer than 12 credits in Fall or Spring Terms without special permission.  However, full-time status is required for some campus programs, benefits, and services.  Students should consult their academic advisor before enrolling in fewer than 12 credits.   

In order to create learning environments that permit students optimal time to engage in their studies, UW-Madison has established limits on the number of credits students may take in any given term. Students who wish to enroll in more credits than the term maximum (above) must have a cumulative University GPA of 3.000 or higher and must seek permission through L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans’ Services. Students in their first term of undergraduate enrollment at UW-Madison are not eligible.   

Additional tuition and fees are assessed when students enroll in credits that exceed the term full-time maximum. See the Bursar’s Office website for information regarding tuition rates and fees. Credit overload is calculated on the basis of all credits attempted after 100% deadline, which means that swapping one course for a different course after the 100% deadline may incur added tuition and fees. 

Fall and Spring Terms 

• No UW-Madison student may carry more than 20 credits during the Fall or Spring Term, regardless of where those credits are taken. 

• Permission is required to enroll in 19 or 20 UW-Madison credits in a Fall or Spring Term at UW-Madison.  

• Permission for credit overload is NOT required if UW-Madison enrollment is 18 credits or fewer. If enrollment at another institution brings total registration to 19 or 20 credits, permission is not required.  

• Permission to enroll in 19-20 UW-Madison credits may be requested by submitting a completed overload request form. 

Winterim 

• The period between the Fall and Spring Terms is sometimes referred to as “winterim.”  

• At UW-Madison, winterim classes have Spring Term session codes that begin with W, X, Y, and Z. Credits taken during these sessions are included in a student’s Spring Term enrollment limits.   

• Students may take up to 3 winterim credits at UW-Madison or 4 winterim credits at another institution without special permission, as long as the winterim class begins after the last day of UW-Madison’s Fall Term and ends before the first day of the regular A1 Spring Term.   

• Permission is required if:  

• • The end date of the winterim class session falls on or after the start date for UW-Madison’s Spring Term (A1 session). 

• • A student wishes to enroll in 4 credits at UW-Madison in winterim. 

• • The combined total of UW-Madison credits in winterim and Spring Term is at least 19 credits 

• Permission may be requested by submitting a completed overload request form. 

• For more detail on winterim enrollment, please visit ​UW-Madison Winterim Course Credit.  

Summer Term 

• No student may carry more than 13 credits during the Summer term, regardless of where those credits are taken.   

• Permission is NOT required for any credits taken at another institution.   

• Permission is required to enroll in 13 UW-Madison credits in a Summer term.   

• Permission is required when the enrollment system prevents a student from adding courses. Students are limited to 1 credit per week of instruction with the exception of the 8-week general session (DHH), in which they may enroll in 9 credits without permission: https://registrar.wisc.edu/credit-load-and-ranges/.  

• Permission may be requested by submitting a completed overload request form. 

Contact L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans’ Services with further questions: 

Phone: (608) 262-0617