How many classes is it usually advisable to take in grad school?

[Authorization]

I usually took about the required minimum 4 classes in undergrad and moved along at a snail's pace since the expected course load was five classes (maximum was 6). In undergrad I understand that 3 classes is considered full-time but would like to take 4-5 classes to complete more credit hours and take more classes relevant to my interests. I'm currently signed up for 4 classes right now - is anything more than that advisable?

[Lisa44201]

No. Credits in grad school are not the same as in undergrad; it's a lot more work. I regularly took 18 credits in undergrad without breaking a sweat. I wouldn't dream of taking more than 13 or so at the graduate level.

[St Andrews Lynx]

Register only for the minimum amount of classes that is required. Personally, if there are more classes that interested me I'd just audit them. 

[Queen of Kale]

This will depend on your program and the input of your advisor/committee (if you have one). A full load in my program is three classes a quarter. My advisor recommend (as a maximum) I take two courses and a reading/research each quarter.  

 

If you feel unconvinced you will make satisfactory progress in a timely matter; you could sit down with your advisor/committee (if you have one) and come up with a full outline of courses you'd like to take. I like to have a roadmap, so although my advisor/committee and the other students in my lab are more given to flying-by-the-seat-of-their-respective-pants; I drafted a two year course plan & solicited feedback from my advisor/committee until it was something everyone was comfortable with it.

 

Of course, even with all the planning in the world a graduate degree is less about the student's planning or speed than it is about their flexibility and durability.

[sansao]

My department will only pay for 9 credits per semester, and thus far I haven't reigistered for more than 8.  You might want to make sure you won't have to pay for them if you go above a certain threshold.

 

Remember, grad school isn't really about taking classes so much as developing your skills as a researcher.  To drive this point home, students in my department are only required to take one course and one seminar (research methods) for the entire PhD.  Most people take more, but if I were so motivated, I really could fill all the rest of the 84 credit requirement up with research/dissertation credits.  the emphasis is supposed to be on research and professional development (and maybe teaching).

 

Edit: It may be a completely different story at the Master's level, though from the MS students I work with, they still only pay for 9 hours.

Edited December 19, 2013 by sansao

[ion_exchanger]

My program (biochem and molec & cell bio) requires 32 credits. You take ~15 each semester for the first year, and one elective the second year. That equals 5 classes for me. After the first year your lab picks up your tuition, so the less credits the better. The people who already have a masters only take 9 credits, three classes.

[Authorization]

Thank you for the information! I'm probably going to continue to stay signed up for 12 credit hours (9 graduate credit hrs, one 3-credit hour undergraduate language class) this semester. Fall semester I am probably going to take 13 credit hours including a 1-credit hour graduate colloquium (graded S/U). I was debating whether or not to take more per semester as I wanted to pursue a 15-credit hour graduate certificate in Emergency Management (as a follow-up to the undergraduate certificate I currently hold in the field) in addition to the required credits for my major. 

[callista]

I took 4 classes this past semester, while working part time.  I did well, but I don't recommend it and don't plan on doing that again, if I can help it.  I felt that I didn't have enough time or energy to go as deep into the readings as I would have liked.  FWIW.

[Guest |||]

Less is better.

[Datatape]

My DGS has what she calls "the rule of four": that is to say, the total number of classes you are teaching and taking should never be more than four.  I've followed it and it's worked out well for me so far - this fall, I taught one class and took three and in the spring I'm teaching two and taking two.  When in doubt, I would err on the side of caution; you can always pick up another class later on if you need it and it won't do you any good to get burnt out early because you overloaded on classes.