F-1 students must enroll in at least 12 academic units each quarter.
Most UCLA Extension courses are 4 units, so many students meet the full-time requirement by enrolling in three 4-unit courses. Some programs may include courses with different unit values, so students are responsible for confirming that they are enrolled in at least 12 total academic units each quarter.
Courses must be taken for Credit or Letter Grade to count toward the full-time enrollment requirement.
In-person and hybrid course requirement
F-1 students must enroll in enough in-person units each quarter to meet immigration requirements.
For UCLA Extension certificate students, this means that:
- At least 8 units (out of your 12) must be in-person or hybrid (in-person)
- Only one online course may count toward the 12 unit minimum
Students should review their course modality carefully before enrolling.
Online course limit
F-1 students may count only one online course toward the 12-unit full-time requirement each quarter.
For example, if a student enrolls in three 4-unit courses, only one of those courses may be fully online. The other courses must be in person or hybrid (in-person)
Students may be able to take additional online courses, but only one online course can count toward the required 12 units for F-1 status.
Choosing courses that count toward your program
Certificate students must take courses that apply toward their certificate program and must continue making normal academic progress toward program completion.
Students should not enroll in unrelated courses only to meet the 12-unit requirement unless those courses have been approved as part of the certificate program.
Before dropping or withdrawing from a course
Dropping below full-time enrollment without prior authorization may result in termination of the student’s I-20 and loss of F-1 status.
Students should contact ISS before making schedule changes if they are unsure whether the change will affect their F-1 status.
Exceptions to full-time enrollment
There are limited situations where an F-1 student may be allowed to enroll in fewer than 12 units.
These exceptions require advance review and approval from ISS. Students should not assume they are eligible without first contacting ISS.
Examples may include:
- Final quarter of study
- Medical Reduced Course Load
Each exception has specific requirements and must be reviewed before the student drops below full-time enrollment.
Common enrollment mistakes
Students should avoid the following mistakes that may affect your F-1 status as an international student:
- Enrolling in fewer than 12 units
- Taking too many online courses
- Dropping a course (to be below 12 units) without contacting ISS first
- Assuming summer is automatically a vacation quarter
- Taking classes that do not apply towards your certificate program
- Waiting until the last minute to fix enrollment issues