Rules and Policies for Overloads and Underloads

Overloads  |  Underloads

Students in Weinberg College typically take four 1-unit courses each quarter. You need 45 units of credit to graduate, and if you take four 1-unit courses per quarter for four years, you will have a total of 48 units. Thus, even if you enter with no AP, IB, or transfer credits, you can have three quarters with only three 1-unit courses (still considered a full load) and graduate on time. This gives you some flexibility in planning your schedule, as well as the opportunity to very occasionally drop a course without falling behind.

Students sometimes enroll for more than 4 units in a quarter; a common example is taking four 1-unit courses plus a course worth less than a unit, such as a .5-unit music ensemble. Special considerations apply to students who take more than 4.68 units in a quarter (sometimes called an overload) or less than 3 units (an underload).

All students considering an overload or underload should consult Northwestern's Undergraduate Registration Requirement (URR).

Overloads

The typical load for a Northwestern student is four 1-unit courses per quarter, sometimes with an additional course worth less than a full unit. You can sign up through CAESAR for a maximum of 4.68 units during the regular registration period. For example, you can sign up for four 1-unit courses and a half-unit music ensemble.

During the add/drop period (the first week of each academic quarter), the cap increases to 5.5 units for most students. Weinberg students who want to take more than 4.68 units of credit, but not more than 5.5, must meet minimum GPA requirements or obtain adviser approval. Here's what to do:

1. Check CAESAR to see if you need a permission number to enroll in the course. If so, you will need to get the permission number from the department offering the course.
2. See if your GPA for the previous quarter meets the relevant criterion: If you are a freshman and you earned a GPA of 3.50 or better for the preceding quarter, or if you are an upperclassmen and you earned a GPA of at least 3.00, then (beginning with Fall 2012) you can increase your course load to a maximum of 5.5 units of credit. You can sign up for the additional course work through CAESAR during the add/drop period.

What if your GPA for the previous quarter was too low? You need to meet with your College Adviser (if you are a sophomore, junior, or senior) or with the Assistant Dean for Academic and Advanced Standing (if you are a freshman). He or she will help you evaluate the pros and cons of taking an overload, given your previous performance, and must give approval before you can enroll for more than 4.68 units.

Students rarely take more than 5.5 units of credit in a quarter. All Weinberg students who take more than 5.5 units need permission from the Assistant Dean for Academic and Advanced Standing. As of Fall 2012, those taking more than 5.5 units in a quarter also incur an extra tuition charge (details are on the Financial Aid website).

Underloads

If you take fewer than 3 units of credit in a quarter, you are taking an "underload" and are classified as a part-time student.  Beginning in Fall 2012, all such students are billed for just the courses they take, not for full-time tuition. 

The Registrar’s course load webpage provides instructions for declaring your intent to be part-time, along with information to consider when deciding whether part-time enrollment is a good choice for you. Keep in mind that taking an underload can jeopardize your financial aid package or athletic status. Explore such implications carefully. Also, students registered for fewer than three units are not eligible to take a course P/N. 

If you think you need only one or two courses to finish up your graduation requirements, you should check with your degree auditor in the Registrar's Office to:

• make sure that your planned program does, in fact, include all the course work you need to finish your degree; and
• learn what effect your planned program will have on fulfillment of the Undergraduate Registration Requirement.

Updated May 15, 2012 to reflect new URR and tuition structure.