Full-Time Academic Load Definition for Graduate Students

Graduate students enrolled in nine or more credits during a regular semester or five credits during a summer session are considered full-time students. All students registered for fewer than those specified totals are classified as part-time students, unless they hold a teaching or research appointment at UMKC.

Full-time enrollment for students holding Graduate Assistantship appointments is six hours in a regular semester or three hours in a summer session. Graduate Assistants are expected to make normal progress toward their degrees and should enroll in a minimum of six hours per semester (excluding summer). 

These designations of full time are for academic purposes only and do not apply to assessment of fees or degree program residency requirements. Note that this policy in no way alters the residency requirements and criteria for doctoral degrees. Further, international students holding Graduate Assistant appointments also must abide by requirements of the U.S. Immigration Service and should consult the international student advisor before reducing their course loads.

Restricted Academic Loads

Limitation on the size of the academic load for which graduate students can register might be imposed by the dean or faculty advisor. Generally, students on probation are required to restrict the academic program to a minimum full- time load until they have returned to good standing.

Interpretation of Full-Time and Half-Time Status of Graduate Students for Purposes of Certification to Lending/Funding Agencies

To be eligible for certification of full-time status as a graduate student, a student must meet at least one of the following conditions:

• Enrollment in nine credit hours.
• Ph.D., D.M.A., D.N.P. and Ed.D. candidates who have passed their doctoral comprehensive examinations and are enrolled in at least one credit hour (not to exceed 10 semesters of certification under this category).

To be eligible for certification of half-time status as a graduate student, a student must be enrolled in at least five credit hours.

Graduate Assistant Appointments Greater than Half Time and Requests for Exemption from Social Security Withholding for Graduate Assistants

Graduate Assistant appointments are normally restricted to no more than 20 hours per week (.5 full-time employee). Requests for Graduate Assistant appointments greater than .5 FTE must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies prior to the beginning of the appointment and must be accompanied by a statement from the student’s major advisor that the additional work load will not place the student at risk academically, is of professional benefit, and will not impede the student’s academic progress.

Graduate students holding Graduate Assistant appointments are automatically exempt from Social Security withholding tax as long as they are enrolled in at least six credit hours. If the student’s enrollment falls below six credit hours, the student’s academic unit may certify his or her eligibility for continued exemption for one of the following two reasons:

• The Graduate Assistant is a doctoral student working in a research laboratory as a component of the educational requirement and is enrolled in the minimum number of research hours required for doctoral students who have passed comprehensive examinations.
•  The Graduate Assistant is a graduate student enrolled in fewer than six credit hours because it is the student’s exit semester.

Social security withholding tax exemptions are handled by Human Resources.