<p>So I am taking 16 credits this semester. I am trying to graduate in May with my masters and getting two certificates. I am doing a coursework only degree. So I will not be doing a thesis or research (unless I volunteer for research). I am used to taking this many credits as an undergrad. But do you think this is too many credits for grad school?</p>
<p>16 graduate credits? It depends on the school and how many credits each class is, but the answer is probably yes. If each graduate class is roughly 3 credits and taking 16 means you are taking 5 graduate classes with a 1-credit course, the answer is definitely yes. If each graduate class is 4 credits and you are taking 4 classes - that’s still a stretch, but since you are doing no other research or thesis requirements it’s probably something you could do.</p>
<p>Graduate classes are more demanding than undergrad classes - in my experience, each graduate class can be like ~1.5 times what an undergrad class is like. That’s why a full graduate load at places where grad classes are 3 credits apiece is usually 9 credits = 9 * 1.5 = 13.5, which is a little more than a full load at the undergrad level. That’s just my rough approximation at trying to quantify this, but really, the point is grad classes are more work than undergrad classes.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how much it varies by field, but in my school/department (engineering), I think it would be safe to say that virtually everyone I know would consider 16 credits to be insane. 9 credits is a standard full-time load, and I’ve heard of coursework-only students taking 12 credits (4 classes) and having their hands full. As juillet said, grad courses are more demanding than undergrad classes, and if your credit breakdown is 5+1 classes, then it’s definitely too many. If it’s four 4-credit classes and that’s normal in your department, then it will probably be busy but doable.</p>
<p>It’s possible assuming you are not working/having a social life/etc. However, it is kind of insane if you are doing any of the aforementioned and you could burn yourself out. Can you push one or two of the courses into the summer? Do you want to finish because you have a job lined up? </p>