Course Load

A course load for a student is dependent on their program of study and their goals for program completion. Students should consult their academic advisor to check program-specific academic guidelines regarding course load. It is the student's responsibility to monitor the number of credits completed each year as they relate to progress toward graduation.

For undergraduate students to meet the minimum academic graduation requirement of 120 credits, a student completing their degree in four years must average 30 credits each year, which is 15 credits per semester.

The Art and Design double major IBFA.8403 Animation/IBFA.8400 Illustration program requires 153 credits. Students complete this degree in five years. The credit load averages 30 credits in the first, third, and fifth years, and 33 credits in the second and fourth years. To fulfill 33 credits, students take 18 credits for one semester in the second and fourth years.

Students may elect to take the minimum number of credits per semester (12) with the understanding it will take longer than four years to earn a bachelor’s degree.

For adult learners, students often find that part-time study is the best fit. Depending therefore on the number of credits transferred, the number of credits needed to complete, and the number of credits taken each semester, completion times for part-time adult learners vary significantly and depend on each student’s unique situation. For additional information, students should contact the Academic Advising Office (advising@lesley.edu)

For students earning their graduate degree, a standard academic guideline for determining course load is one credit per week. Therefore, the maximum credit load per semester is as follows:

Students should consult their program to check program-specific academic guidelines.