Course Overload
Questrom School of Business Policy
Undergraduate
Each student has a maximum credit limit, and the University applies a per-credit tuition fee to students who register for credits above their maximum credit limit. Full-time first-year students, sophomores, and juniors have a maximum credit limit of 18 credits, and students with senior standing (96 or more credits completed) have a maximum credit limit of 20 credits. Undergraduate students should discuss their semester workload and course overload plans with their Academic Advisor. Students on academic probation are strongly discouraged from overloading.
The Questrom Registrar’s Office increases the maximum credit limit for Questrom students in the following circumstances:
- Executive Skills Seminars: Students’ maximum credit limit is increased by one credit if they are registered for QST ES 110, ES 210, or ES 310, and by two credits if they are registered for ES 215.
- QST SM 132: Students’ maximum credit limit is increased by two credits if they are registered for QST SM 132 for the first time.
- Honors Program Seminars: Students’ maximum credit limit is increased by two credits if they are registered for SM 450, SM 453, SM 454, SM 455, or SM 456.
- GPA of 3.30 or Higher: Students’ maximum credit limit is increased by two credits if their cumulative GPA is 3.30 or higher. Students must request this increase to their maximum credit limit by submitting the Tuition Waiver for Course Overload form.
- SM 395: Students’ maximum credit limit is increased by .5 credits if they are registered for SM 395 Management Internship.
Graduate
Course Overload Approval—Full-Time Program
Standard full-time tuition covers 12–18 credits per semester. All full-time students can automatically take up to 18 credits per semester. Overloading is registering for more than 18 credits in a semester. Every additional credit beyond 18 credits will incur per-credit charges. If a student’s program requires a student to take a course load beyond 18 credits, the student will automatically be granted an overload covering the additional charges. Please note that there are different overload policies varying by program and start date. If the following conditions are met, charges for a course overload may be waived:
- Student is in last two semesters of program.
- Student has cumulative Questrom GPA of 2.70 or higher.
In order for the additional charges to be waived, the student must submit a Course Overload Tuition Waiver form to the MBA Center or the Specialty Master’s & PhD Center, as appropriate. See chart below for overload credit limits.
|
2nd-Year Fall Semester Prescribed Curriculum |
2nd-Year Fall Semester Potential Max Credits |
2nd-Year Spring Semester |
2nd-Year Spring Semester |
|
| Full-Time MBA | 15.5 credits | 18 credits (an extra 2.5 credits is already built in) | 12 credits | 18 credits (an extra 6 credits is already built in) |
| MSDT•MBA | 18.5 credits | 19 credits (automatic overload) | 15 credits | 18 credits (an extra 3 credits is already built in) |
*Please note that we will consider an additional one-credit overload (beyond what is outlined above) if you are registered for QST IM 885 or because you are taking a 4-credit graduate elective at another BU program. To overload for an additional credit for one of these reasons, please submit the overload form on the Graduate Programs website.
Course Overload Approval—PEMBA Program
Students may register for up to 11.5 credits in a given semester to be considered in part-time enrollment status. The normal course load for PEMBA students is between 3 and 9 credits per semester. Students who have been enrolled part time since they began the PEMBA Program may register for 12 credits in their last semester of study and pay by the credit (instead of paying the full-time tuition rate). To take advantage of this payment arrangement, students should notify their advisor in writing. Part-time students should be aware that enrolling in a full-time course load, even at 12 credits during their last semester, will have an impact on payment options and plans available to them.
MS in Mathematical Finance & Financial Technology
Mathematical Finance & Financial Technology students take 13 credits in the fall semester and 13 credits in the spring semester of their first year. They may participate in an internship in the summer between the first and second years and take 13 credits in the fall of their second year.
Standard full-time tuition covers 12–18 credits per semester. All full-time students can automatically take up to 18 credits per semester with permission from the Executive Director of the program. Overloading is registering for more than 18 credits in a semester. Every additional credit beyond 18 credits will incur per-credit charges.
Students who are not in good academic standing (Questrom GPA below 2.70) may not register for more than their prescribed curriculum (12 credits) in any given semester.
MS in Business Analytics
Business Analytics students take specific BA courses and credits each semester. Standard full-time tuition covers 12–18 credits per semester. Students need permission from the Faculty Director to take additional courses at the University.
Students who are not in good academic standing (Questrom GPA below 2.70) may not register for more than their prescribed curriculum in any given semester.
MS in Management Studies
MS in Management Studies students take 18 credits in the fall semester and 18 credits in the spring semester. Standard full-time tuition covers 12–18 credits per semester. All full-time students can automatically take up to 18 credits per semester. Overloading is registering for more than 18 credits in a semester. Every additional credit beyond 18 credits will incur per-credit charges.
Students who are not in good academic standing may not register for more than their prescribed curriculum (18 credits) in any given semester.
PhD in Mathematical Finance & Management
Doctoral students must have their faculty mentor’s permission to register for more than 18 credits in a given semester. Every additional credit above 18 will incur per-credit charges.
Charges for the course overload up to 20 credits are waived if at least one of the following conditions is met:
- The student’s cumulative grade point average is 3.70 or higher.
- The student wants to register for a fifth course (up to 20 credits) in their last semester of required PhD courses.
