F-1 students are required by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to maintain a minimum of 12 semester credit hours during the spring and fall semesters. Students are required to successfully complete a full course of study that leads to the attainment of a specific educational objective.

Students are considered "out of status" by DHS if they fall below the minimum semester credit hour requirement. There are some exceptions to the DHS credit hour requirement. Meet with a college advisor or counselor if you need more information.

Semester credit hours earned by "placement exams" or earned while concurrently enrolled at a different institution will not be applied to this 12 semester hours credit requirement.