Given the condensed nature of these courses, you may enroll in a maximum of four credits during Winter Session. We recommend you be in good academic standing. You should plan to spend the same number of hours actively participating online as you would in a traditional, full-semester course. Due to the accelerated time frame, Winter Session courses require a greater time commitment each week. Be prepared to spend approximately 35-45 hours per week on coursework for a three-credit course.
Winter Session courses count as part of your spring semester credit load. For example, if you take 3 credits during Winter Session and 15 credits during the spring semester, you will have a total of 18 credits for the Spring Term. You should keep in mind the credit limit policy per semester when planning your Winter Session and regular spring semester classes. For most students the credit limit is 21 credit hours. Some colleges may have different credit limits.
Below, you can find general guidance for credit overload petitioning by school/college. Please contact your college if you have additional questions about semester credit limits, the 4-credit limit for Winter Session and credit overload petitions.
A&S students who are at their spring credit limit, please refer to the
Credit Overload Petition. For additional questions, A&S students can email:
aacdean@colorado.edu
Things to note:
- A&S will only allow students to take one Winter Session course. Petitions for any more than that will be denied.
- Although waitlisted classes count toward a student's credit limit, students should only submit these petitions if they are fully enrolled for the semester (not waitlisted). The petition will not be considered otherwise.
- A&S will notify CE Enrollment Services if/when a student needs to be overridden into a Winter Session class as a result of their petition being approved.
Business students should contact their Leeds Academic Advisor in order to get a petition form.
CMCI students running up against the credit limit for spring should email Susan Avila (
susan.avila@colorado.edu), the Assistant Director of Advising in CMCI, in order to initiate the petition process.
The normal academic load for an undergraduate student in the College of Music is 15 to 17 credit hours. Enrollment in fewer than 12 credit hours or more than 19 must be approved by the Undergraduate Associate Dean, Matthew Roeder (
roeder@colorado.edu).
Nondegree students may not petition to go over the 4 credit limit.
