Minimum Enrollment Requirements

You must be continuously enrolled as a full-time student once you are admitted in order to maintain your Graduate Student Support Plan benefits. You must be enrolled in fall and spring semesters, but not summer terms. However, you must be enrolled during the summer if you are defending and submitting your thesis or dissertation during summer sessions.

As you progress towards completing 30 credits for the MS or 72 credits for the PhD, you will enroll in at least nine (9) credits each semester. Once you have completed enough credits for the degree, you will continue to be considered full-time while you complete your thesis or dissertation as long as you enroll in a least three (3) credits.

For additional information on minimum enrollment requirements, see section 3.14 of the NCSU Graduate Handbook. The policy on taking a leave of absence is found there as well. For further information on Course Registration, see section 3.15 of the NCSU Graduate Handbook.

This table shows the number of credits you must enroll in each semester to be full-time given how many credits you have already completed.

Degree (MS or PhD)Current Credits EarnedCredits to Enroll in for Full-time
PhD< 649
PhD648
PhD657
PhD666
PhD675
PhD684
PhD> 683
MS< 229
MS228
MS237
MS246
MS255
MS264
MS> 263