Bryn Mawr College

Course Loads

Normal course load is 4 units per semester. Most courses carry one unit of credit. Intensive elementary and intermediate language courses carry 1.5 units of credit. At Haverford College , there are courses that meet for only half the semester; these each carry .5 units of credit. The College considers course loads from 3.5 to 4.5 to be normal full time loads.

 

Many students consider taking 5 courses in some semesters. Their motivation may be related to credits (they want to make up a missing credit; they want to graduate early), or there may simply be five classes in a certain semester that they really want to take. For most students, most of the time, taking five classes has significant drawbacks: it may lead to a decline in academic performance, limit time available for meaningful activities outside the classroom, or simply take a toll on physical or mental health. For this reason, all students are asked consult with their dean (and major adviser) before enrolling in an overload. Students also have until the end of the third week of the semester to drop a fifth class, no questions asked.

 

Occasionally a student may wish to enroll in 5.5 units. A student's dean does not have the authority to permit this. Instead, a student must gain permission from the Special Cases Committee. A student makes her request by submitting a letter explaining her situation to the Committee via Dean Judy Balthazar. The student and her dean will be informed of the Committee's decision within two weeks of the request. If the Committee denies its permission, the student should meet with her dean to be dropped from a course.

 

Even if a student enters Bryn Mawr with many credits (from AP, IB or other exams, or from college work completed before her matriculation), she is generally expected to enroll in a full course load each semester. Students with a documented disability may be eligible for a reduced course load as part of accommodations offered through the Office of Access Services. Students, generally seniors, who are enrolled in advanced courses or who face other significant demands on their time, may expect to be granted permission for a reduced course load during one semester. Other students who feel there is good justification for a reduced course load should speak to their deans.

 

In general, students are charged full tuition regardless of course load.