Students on an F or J visa have enrollment requirements in order to maintain valid status while studying at the University of Tennessee.

Full-Time Enrollment Chart

Student Type	Minimum Credit Hours	Maximum Online Hours
Undergraduate Students	12	3
Graduate students with no assistantship	9	3
Graduate students with assistantship of less than 20 hrs per week	9	3
Graduate students with assistantship of 20 hrs per week (50% time)	6	3

Course of Study Requirements

Regulations require that coursework be part of a course of study. Elective and additional credits are permitted, but placeholder classes are not. The following courses do NOT count as enrollment:

1. Use of Facilities Courses;
2. Audited and Withdrawn Courses.

Exceptions to Full-Time Enrollment

1. The summer semester is an approved break if you have enrolled at UT full-time in the spring and plan to enroll full-time in the fall.
2. In your final semester, you are only required to enroll in the credit hours needed to complete your program. You also must be aware of in-person course requirements. If only one course is remaining that course must be in-person. Also, only 3 credits of your total number of required courses may be online. You are required to complete a form to verify your final semester. We have a guide for this at Confirming Your Final Semester.
3. Graduate students in the research phase of their program are allowed to only take thesis or dissertation hours. Follow steps outlined in our guide Confirming Dissertation/Thesis Hours.
4. Students experiencing a physical or mental illness or injury can file for a reduced course load. Note, we do not need the details of your symptoms or condition. We do need a letter meeting the following requirements:
   1. The letter must be on official letterhead from a Knoxville area physician or mental health professional;
   2. The letter must be state that you need a reduced course load for a specific semester or semesters;
   3. The letter must be signed and dated by a licensed medical doctor, psychiatrist, doctor of osteopathy, licensed psychologist, or clinical psychologist;
   4. Please contact your immigration advisor with the letter. We can then file for a reduced course load.

Guides

We have created several resources that go into greater depth on enrollment requirements.

Understanding Enrollment Requirements for International Students

Confirming Your Final Semester

Confirming Dissertation/Thesis Hours