• Table of Contents
• The Graduate School Handbook

• Graduate Education
• The Graduate School and the Administrative Board
• Graduate School Staff Directory
• Graduate Education References
• Graduate School Calendar

• General Academic Requirements and Regulations
• Admission and Matriculation
• Eligibility
• Course Credit
• Registration
• Residence Credit
• Graduate Grading
• Assistantships and Fellowships
• Tuition and Other Charges
• Graduation
• Medical or Personal Issues
• Withdrawal from the University
• Policies and Procedures
• Students as Faculty
• Certificate Programs
• Dual Degree Programs
• Generative AI Guidelines

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degree
• Doctoral Degree

Residence Credit

Students have a minimum number of required semesters of UNC-Chapel Hill registration. The program residence credit hour requirement is earned in the process of fulfilling course credit requirements and requires UNC-Chapel Hill registration, although not necessarily physical presence on campus (for example, the student may be doing field research).

Calculation

Semester credit hours are converted to program residence credit on the same basis as tuition:

• 9 or more credit hours earn a full semester of residence.
• 6 to 8.9 credit hours earn three-fourths semester of residence.
• 3 to 5.9 credit hours earn one-half semester of residence.
• 0 to 2.9 credit hours earn one-fourth semester of residence.

Credits earned in any summer session count toward residence credit on the same basis as courses taken in a fall or spring semester.

Residence credit earned on work for a master's degree at UNC-Chapel Hill is applicable as program residence credit for a doctoral degree in the same program.

Courses taken by UNC-Chapel Hill degree students via inter-institutional registration earn residence credit as if they were courses on this campus.

Thesis and dissertation research earns residence credit based on the number of enrolled credit hours and not necessarily full-time status (i.e., one semester registration in three credit hours of 992, 993, or 994 equates to one-half semester of residence).

Teaching or other service duties do not count as part of the residence computation for the degree.

Transferred credit will not be included in the program residence credit calculation.

Special Language Course credit does not count toward the residence credit requirement. See Credit and Residence Requirements for Master's degree or Doctoral degree.