Guidelines for Overloads
Please review these guidelines in full prior to submitting your Overload Petition.
Undergraduate students are limited to 48 units in a term (only 45 academic units in the first two terms of first year). Please keep in mind that 36 units is considered "full time" and a courseload of 48 units is more than adequate to keep pace with a four year graduation plan.
In the first two terms, a petition is required for anything above 45 academic units, or above 48 total units. First term overload petitions are extremely rare; they might be approved for one or two additional units of pizza courses, or a PVA course, up to a maximum of 49 units. For example, a student taking 45 academic units could request to take a PVA or PE course (3 units) and a pizza course (1 unit), for a total of 45 academic units and 49 total units.
After the first two terms, you can overload with up to 51 units with your advisor's approval. If you would like to take more than 51 units, you need to request it via an overload petition to the undergraduate deans. Please note that this is still an exception to academic policy, and students should consider that overloads are not the norm, and should not be requested in every term.
Please review the following questions for rationale, examples, and notes.
The Caltech Catalog states:
" An overload is defined as registration for more than 48 units for an undergraduate. This limit corresponds to five 9-unit classes plus a 3-unit non-academic class (PE, PVA, SA) or four 9-unit classes plus one 12-unit class. Classroom and laboratory courses are to be limited to 45 units for first year students for the first two terms and the remaining three units should be used for frontier ("pizza") courses, PE, PVA, SA, or research."
"A Caltech undergraduate degree is based on four years of academic enrollment (study abroad included) in which students have the time to explore their academic interests in a deep and rigorous way."
In 2016, unit limits were review by the faculty. In September 2016 a memo explaining policy changes recommended by the four-year experience committee was sent from Caltech's Vice President of Student Affairs and Registrar:
"The committee proposed a reduction in the overload and academic eligibility limits which was approved by the Academic Policies Committee. The goal is to establish 4 to 5 classes as the normal load during a quarter, while allowing students to pass only 3 courses in particularly difficult quarters. More than 5 formal classes places an undue burden on students, and hamper the process of knowledge acquisition. The new policy aims to encourage an engagement in research during the academic year rather than taking an excessive classroom course load. A further goal is to curb the practice of excessive course loads in the freshman and sophomore years."
The overload policies introduced in the fall of 2016 were meant to prevent students from overloading on formal academic courses, while encouraging growth and development in other areas of undergraduate life. For this reason, the initial consideration by the deans' office in evaluating petitions is not the total number of units, but rather the number of "formal classes," generally understood to be 9 or 12 unit academic courses.
Requests to take six such courses will require a specific and compelling reason that all the courses need to be taken in a single term. The catalog sets "a very high bar for taking 6 full-time classes simultaneously." Students are encouraged to consult the Registrar's office in advance of any such petition to discuss the rationale for an overload and possible alternatives. A student's demonstrated ability to bear a heavy academic load is not itself a reason to take six formal academic courses.
The Deans' office may take a more favorable view of petitions that involve five (or fewer) formal academic courses, and reach unit totals above 51, through some combination of frontier ("pizza") courses, physical education (PE) courses, student activities (SA) courses, performing and visual arts (PVA) courses, or research units. Here, a student's demonstrated ability to manage a demanding academic schedule may be a relevant consideration.
In accord with the expressed aim "to curb . . . excessive course loads in the freshman and sophomore years," the deans' office is not inclined to approve overloads for first and second year students. Exceptions may involve first year students required to take oddly united courses such as Wr 4, Wr 50, or Ma 17.
The final report of the four-year experience committee indicated that all majors and double majors could be accommodated within the new framework of overload limits. If juniors and seniors with a declared second option feel the need to overload, they should seek advice from the Registrar's office about their academic plan. The deans' office will consult with the Registrar when evaluating such overload petitions.
These are general guidelines. Individual petitions will be evaluated by the deans' office, in consultation with faculty and with other administrative staff.
*Additional note for first-year students: It is essential that you complete your First-Year Hums in your first year, and that you don't overlook these and overload in other courses. Winter term overload petitions will not be approved if you have more than one First-Year Hum remaining to complete in Spring term; Spring term petitions will not be approved if you have not already completed, or are not currently enrolled in, your second First-Year Hum.
*Additional note for upperclass students: As you can see from the examples, most approved overloads contain between 51 and 54 units. In the rarest of circumstances, an overload may be approved for 57 units, but it will typically be made up of multiple PVA courses, or PVA/PE plus research. Petitions above 57 units will not be approved.
*Additional note for seniors: If you believe an overload is required in order to graduate, we will need to receive confirmation from the registrar that your proposed courseload is the only possible way to graduate on time.
Once your petition is complete please have your advisor approve and email to [email protected] for review. The deans will review overload petitions for the upcoming term after final grades are posted for the previous term.