Policies indicated below do not include all policies related to credit, classifications, and student loads. See the University Catalog.

VI.5.1 Credit for Academic Work

Normally, Linfield grants one semester credit for 15 50-minute periods of instruction (including discussion, testing, etc.) or the equivalent. Laboratories of two or three hours are considered the equivalent of one period of instruction.

VI.5.2 Full-Time Status

Linfield University defines full-time status for undergraduate students as enrollment for 12 or more credits. This full-time status definition applies for all purposes including but not limited to financial aid, Veterans’ educational benefits, scholarship certification, student visa status, and intercollegiate athletics. Thus, for Pell Grants, Alaska Loans, and similar programs, an undergraduate must carry at least 12 credits to be certified as full time. Only students who have earned 12 credits with differentiated grades (A-F) assigned may qualify for the Dean’s List.

VI.5.3 Undergraduate Classification

A student’s class standing is determined by the following semester credit criteria:

First-year: Successful completion of 0-29.99 credits

Sophomore: Successful completion of 30-61.99 credits

Junior: Successful completion of 62-93.99 credits

Senior: Successful completion of 94 or more credits

VI.5.4 Student Work Per Course and Normal Course Load

Faculty members should schedule work so that students will devote some 42 hours of academic effort over the term or semester for each course credit (including in-class time). Thus, for a three-credit course that meets three hours each week, the student should spend some six hours outside of class each week of the 14-week semester – two hours outside of class for each hour inside.

The faculty has identified 12-16 credits as the normal student load in any given semester and three to five credits as the normal credit load for January Term. This policy is monitored at the point of registration (or at points when changes in registration occur) by the Registrar’s Office. Linfield discourages students from taking more than 18 credits in total at Linfield (or at Linfield in combination with credits from another university).

The following conditions pertain to students seeking to enroll beyond the normal load:

• Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above will be permitted to enroll for as many as 18 credits without supporting documentation at no extra charge. In their first semester at Linfield, first-year students should not enroll in more than 16 credits.

• Students who have a cumulative GPA below 3.5 must contact their major advisor for approval of their registration plans if they want to enroll in 17 or 18 credits (no extra charge). If students plan to enroll in 19 or more credits (regardless of GPA), they must receive approval from their major advisor AND file a formal petition with the relevant dean. Their petitions must include the following documentation:
  • an unofficial transcript of work completed to date.
  • evidence of the student’s overall GPA and GPA for the semester just completed.
  • a statement written by the student explaining the higher-than-normal credit load being sought and the courses being planned for the semester in question.
  • signature of approval for this plan by the student’s academic advisor.