It's best not to cram too much into your academic schedule. During the 16-week fall and spring terms, a three-credit course normally meets three hours per week. To succeed, students generally need to study two hours outside of class for every hour in class. So if you take 15 credits, you'll need to devote about 45 total hours per week to your college studies. The maximum course load is 18 credits in terms I and II, 12 credits in the concentrated Express (12-week) and Summer (10-week) terms.
Students who are working part-time often succeed with a 12-to-17-hour academic load but few students are able to work full-time and succeed in a full-time course load. Consider these recommendations before you fill out your schedule.
Note: Florida law requires transfer students to complete degree with fewest hours possible or risk
financial penalty.
Recommended Academic Load
Maximum hours
of work per week |
Term I or II
16 weeks |
Express Term
12 weeks |
Summer
10 weeks |
Summer
6 weeks |
| 20 hours |
12-15 credits |
9-12 credits |
6-10 credits |
4-6 credits |
| 30 hours |
9-12 credits |
6-9 credits |
3-6 credits |
3-5 credits |
| 40 hours |
6-9 credits |
3-6 credits |
3-5 credits |
2-4 credits |