The day before the add/drop period ends is the deadline to petition for a credit overload for each semester.
In the fall and spring semesters, if you want to take more than 19 credits, you must request a credit overload using the Credit Overload Petition
Fall or Spring Semester
- Credit overload request reviews begin early August for the fall semester.
- Credit overload request reviews begin in early January for the spring semester.
In order to qualify for a credit overload, the student must:
- Have already successfully completed at least 1 semester at UMass.
- Not have any Incomplete grades.
- Not be on academic warning or probation.
If you are full time and want to take more than 19 credits, you MUST request a credit overload. The following are general guidelines used in determining if a credit overload is warranted:
- 3.0 minimum GPA for 20 credits
- 3.3 minimum GPA for 21 credits
- 3.5 minimum GPA for 22 credits
- 3.7 minimum GPA for 23-25* credits
*No overloads over 25 credits will be allowed.
These are guidelines and are only one item factored into a decision - a 3.0 GPA doesn't necessarily guarantee approval of 21 credits. If approved for a credit overload, students are not allowed to register for the extra courses via SPIRE until early August for fall semester and early January for spring semester.
Students should prioritize enrollment in the classes most relevant to their academic plan.
Winter/Summer terms
Summer/Winter Credit Overload requests will not be considered for students whose GPA is below 3.0 or if there is an incomplete (INC) grade from a previous semester.
For the Summer session, the maximum credit load is 16 credits total and not to exceed 8 credits in any session. Additional credits require overload approval and will only be granted for students trying to graduate during that summer session as evidenced by the graduation term in Spire.
For Winter session, the maximum credit load is 8 credits. Additional credits require overload approval and will only be granted for students trying to graduate during that winter session as evidenced by the graduation term in Spire.
In the winter/summer sessions, you must request a credit overload using the Credit Overload Petition
Once the form is completed and submitted online, it will be reviewed by the Isenberg Undergraduate Programs Office. Decisions about requests will be sent to your UMass Amherst student e-mail. Credit limits are only allowed to be increased once all students have had the opportunity to register for the upcoming semester.