Credit Overload/Underload Request

Academic Credit Load Policy

The ABA Rules stipulate: "A student may not be employed more than 20 hours per week in any week in which the student is enrolled in more than 12 class hours". This means students working more than 20 hours per week are not permitted to take more than 12 credits in any semester. The law school presumes that part time students will work more than 20 hours per week; that presumption underlies the limit of overload credits for part time students. Students who are enrolled part time and work less than 20 hours per week can requests overloads under the full time limits, however, they must verify their work situation.

Additionally, the ABA has stated: a law school may not permit a student to be enrolled at any time in coursework that, if successfully completed, would exceed 20% of the total coursework requirement by that school for graduation.  As the University of Connecticut School of Law requires 86 credits for graduation, students are not permitted to be enrolled in any semester in excess of 17 credits. As credit overload, and in fact any deviation from the prescribed curriculum, is not under most circumstances permitted by first year students, requests of this nature by first year students will not be granted. Only exceptions for underload requests and requests under ADA Accommodation guidelines will be considered.

Academic Credit Load Guidelines

During the Fall or Spring semesters, full-time students may take between 12 and 16 credits without permission; part-time students may take between 8-12 credits without permission. During the Summer semester, a maximum of 10 credits is permitted, with no more than 7 credits in one session. Any deviation from these guidelines require approval of the credit overload/underload request form.
 

Academic Credit Load Underload/Overload Request Form

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