ACADEMIC PROGRESS : International Student Services : Bridgewater State University

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Academic Progress

Be sure to meet with academic advisors and consult with ISS as often as needed to make sure you are taking the right steps at the right time.

Required Course Loads

As an international student, you are required to register in a full course load of classes each semester. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) allows for certain exceptions to the full time enrollment requirement; however, all exceptions must be pre-approved by ISS. If you are an undergraduate student, you must register for 12 credits and maintain a 2.0 GPA. If you are a graduate student, you must register for 9 credits and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Grades

Failing grades and unauthorized withdrawals will affect your GPA negatively, and might subsequently jeopardize your legal immigration status.

Academic Probation

Students who fall below the required GPA will be placed on academic probation. Please consult with an academic advisor in your major and ISS on how this will impact your academic and immigration status at BSU. Also read the BSU catalog and the appropriate student handbook to keep informed about the university policy on probation and academic dismissal.

Academic Dismissal

Students who are academically dismissed must contact ISS immediately for advice regarding their legal immigration status.

Online/Hybrid classes

Undergraduate students may be permitted to take no more than 3 credits of on-line classes each fall or spring semester provided they enroll in 9 credits of regular classes and maintain their legal immigration status.

Part-time Enrollment

International students always need to request pre-approval to be a part-time student. This information is reported in SEVIS. Students must submit a completed Part Time Request form along with supporting documents to ISS no later than the Add/Drop deadline of the semester in which the student will enroll in less than a full course of study. The student must resume a full course of study in the next available term, session, or semester, excluding a summer session, in order to maintain legal student status.

Important: A student previously authorized to drop below a full course of study due to academic difficulties is not eligible for a second authorization due to academic difficulties while pursuing a course of study at the same program level. A student authorized to drop below a full course of study for academic difficulties while pursuing a course of study at a particular program level may still be authorized for a reduced course load due to an illness/medical condition.

Students may be permitted to enroll in a part-time course load under the following SEVIS approved categories only:

Initial difficulty with reading requirements
Initial difficulty with the English language
Unfamiliarity with American teaching methods
You are in your final semester and have only a few credits remaining to graduate.
You are ill or have a medical condition that requires a reduced course load. A written statement from a qualified medial practitioner is required.
Improper course level placement

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