At Temple University, graduate students are considered full-time when they are registered for nine credits. Undergraduate students are considered full-time when they are registered for twelve credits.
There are times when a student can be registered for fewer than the required number of credits and still be considered to be maintaining her/his status both academically and for immigration purposes. In these cases, for academic and immigration purposes, an international student is considered full-time despite the fact that they are registered for fewer than 9 or 12 credits.
FULL-TIME EQUIVALENCY:
In these cases, international students are automatically considered full-time for immigration purposes
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Graduate student holds full time Assistantship/Externship – fax (215 204 6166) or e-mail a copy of the award letter to this office. Student must be registered for a minimum of 6 credits;
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Graduate student is at the thesis or dissertation research/writing stage –Student must be in compliance with the Graduate School's "Full-time Policy". See http://www.temple.edu/grad/policies/gradpolicies.htm for details;
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Graduate student is in the final semester of coursework and will advance to research stage next semester. Student must be in compliance with the Graduate School's "Full-time Policy". See http://www.temple.edu/grad/policies/gradpolicies.htm for details;
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Graduate student has completed all coursework and is preparing for comps/prelims which student MUST pass before moving forward in degree program. Student must be in compliance with the Graduate School's "Full-time Policy". See http://www.temple.edu/grad/policies/gradpolicies.htm for details;
Please do not send the "confirmation of full-time equivalency" form unless you are instructed to do so by the ISSS. You do not need to have the form completed unless you are asked to do so. If we do ask for it, please have your advisor or a full-time Temple staff member who has access to your records e-mail it to us from their e-mail account.
If you are NOT registered full-time AND you are not "considered full-time for immigration and university purposes, then you must have a valid USCIS reason for a "reduced course load":
Form is available here: Reduced Course Load
An international student may be authorized for a reduced course load only if s/he meets one of the criteria described below:
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Student is in the first semester of a degree program IN THE UNITED STATES and needs time to adjust to the American classroom, the English Language or intensive reading requirements;
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Student has been improperly advised, for which the academic advisor must include a letter explaining how the department incorrectly advised the student regarding her/his registration; and
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Student has a medical condition that prohibits a full time course load, a condition which must be accompanied by medical documentation
- Student is in his/her final semester of study. Student may register for whatever amount of credits s/he has left to complete degree.
Students in these situations must have their academic advisors complete and submit to this office the “Request for a Reduced Course Load” form. As an alternative, the academic advisor may send an e-mail with the student's name, tuid and confirmation that one of the above four items applies to the student.
A medical condition must be accompanied by a physician's confirmation of the condition. Do no e-mail physician's confirmation. Submission of the form does NOT guarantee approval of the request.
Please note that financial restrictions are not a valid reason for part-time status. If you are experiencing a financial need due to unforeseen circumstances, you may be eligible for"Employment due to urgent, unforeseen
circumstances." Working may alleviate your financial strain but you will still be required to be a full-time student.
