Academic Regulations and Procedures
For a general overview, students are urged to read Regulations and Policies published in the quarterly Time Schedules. Because students are held responsible for this information, they are encouraged to discuss any questions they have with their College advisers. The following sections describe some of the College's regulations and procedures.
Requirements for the Degree
Course Load
Repetition of Courses
Preregistration
Changes in Registration
Registration for Professional School Courses
Restrictions
Leaves of Absence and Withdrawals
Grades
Dean's List
Honors
Academic Warning and Probation
Awarding of Twelfth Grade Certificate
Petitions
Requirements for the Degree. The College awards the B.A. or the B.S. degree to qualified students who are recommended by the faculty. In order to qualify for the degree, students must complete the following:
1. The general education requirements
2. The requirements of a major program
3. The minimum number of electives
4. The language competency requirement
5. Course credit for a minimum of forty-two quarter courses. This number may be reached in part by examination or advanced standing where appropriate
6. An overall GPA of 1.75 and a GPA of 2.0 in the major
7. A residency requirement: A student must be in residence at the University of Chicago campus for at least six quarters, full or part time, and must successfully complete a minimum of eighteen courses while in residence.
8. Three quarter courses in physical education, unless placement credit or exemption is granted
9. Completion of a degree application prior to the quarter in which the degree is to be received
10. Payment of all outstanding bills and return of all equipment and library books
Course Load. Students register for three or four courses per quarter. Over the typical four-year program (twelve quarters), a student normally registers for at least six four-course quarters and as many as six three-course quarters. Although students may progress at varying rates toward the degree, no student may register for more than fifteen quarters without the permission of the dean of students in the College.
A student is considered full time whether registered for three or four courses; the tuition is the same in either case. Students must formally petition the dean of students in the College for permission to take a fifth course. The petition will be considered in the third week of the quarter, at which time, if it is approved, the student will be registered and billed for the fifth course. NOTE: The charge for the fifth course is the difference between the cost of two and three courses.
Students who wish to register for fewer than three courses must make that request to a College adviser before the end of the first week of the quarter. Because such students have part-time status, their financial aid will be reevaluated and they must request permission if they wish to remain in University of Chicago housing.
Repetition of Courses. When a student repeats a course, both courses appear on the student's transcript and both grades are averaged into the student's GPA. However, only one registration for the course counts toward the total number of credits required for graduation.
In the quarter that a course is repeated, students on financial aid must register for three courses in addition to the repeated course unless (1) a failing grade was received in a course that a student needs to meet general education requirements or requirements in their major (2) the student's major mandates a higher grade than was previously received.
Preregistration. At the end of each quarter, students in residence preregister for the following quarter. Prior to Autumn Quarter, students must confirm that they will be a registered student in Autumn Quarter.
Changes in Registration. Course registration may be changed during the first three weeks of each quarter. A change of registration is any course "drop," any course "add," or any substitution of one course for another. No changes in registration are permitted after Friday of third week. (Consult the Time Schedules for more detailed information.)
Registration for Professional School Courses. If certain requirements are met, advanced undergraduates may register for up to six courses in the following professional schools at the University of Chicago: Graduate School of Business, the Law School, the School of Social Service Administration, or the Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies. Approval of a petition to the Dean of Students in the College must be received prior to the quarter of planned registration. For more information about requirements and registration procedures, students should consult their College advisers. NOTE: Professional school courses generally do not substitute for courses in the major; and no more than three can count toward the forty-two credits required in an undergraduate degree program.
Restrictions. The privilege of registration (as well as the use of University services and facilities) will be denied students who have been placed on restriction. Restriction may result from a student's failure to fulfill financial obligations to the University or to comply with University rules and regulations. Whenever possible, students are warned of an impending restriction and are notified when one has been imposed. Students must clear the restriction with the administrative or academic office which imposed it before they can be registered for subsequent quarters.
Leaves of Absence and Withdrawals. Students planning a leave should consult with their College adviser and also arrange for an interview with one of the College deans of students. For full tuition refund, leaves must be arranged by the end of the first week of the quarter. (Consult the Time Schedules for the complete refund schedule.) In the case of leave granted for medical reasons, the dean of students may require information from a physician or therapist as a condition of the student's return to the College. Students who decide not to return to the College must formally withdraw their registration. To do so, students should contact the Office of the Dean of Students in the College. At the time of withdrawal, students are advised of the conditions under which they may resume their studies in the College.
Grades. The following marks are used for undergraduate courses (the number weight assigned to each grade for computation of grade point averages (GPA) is listed in parentheses when applicable): A (4.0), A- (3.7), B+ (3.3), B (3.0), B- (2.7), C+ (2.3), C (2.0), C- (1.7), D+ (1.3), D (1.0), F (0.0), I, N, P, R, and Q. The marks A, B, C, D, and P are passing marks and confer course credit. The mark F indicates unsatisfactory work and does not confer credit.
The grades A through F are known as quality grades and carry a specific weight in calculating official grade point averages (GPA). These averages are regularly calculated only to determine Dean's List, academic probation, and general honors. They may influence awards like Phi Beta Kappa and departmental honors.
NOTE: Only grades for University of Chicago courses are calculated into a student's GPA. Grades from advanced standing (transfer courses) do not contribute to the GPA. Grades from off-campus study abroad or domestic programs do not contribute to the GPA unless the courses are listed on the transcript with University of Chicago course numbers.
There are two grading options open to students who wish to receive a passing grade rather than a quality grade: Pass/No Credit (P/N) and Pass/Fail (P/F). Students considering P/N or P/F grading should consult with their College adviser early in the quarter because both these options are subject to conditions and restrictions. Whether a course with a grade of P can be counted toward a student's degree depends on how it is to be used in the student's program. All general education courses must be taken for quality grades and most courses satisfying requirements in the major must be taken for quality grades. However, some majors permit a limited number of P's. For P/N grading, students must register with their College advisers during the first two weeks of the quarter. For P/F grading, the student and instructor reach an informal agreement, at the discretion of the instructor and according to departmental policy, before the instructor submits a grade for the course; no action is required by the student's adviser.
The mark P indicates that the student has submitted sufficient evidence to receive a passing grade. As some departments give credit only for a grade of C- or higher, students should establish with the instructor what constitutes passing work. A mark of P may not later be changed to a quality grade, and a quality grade may not be changed to a P. Although the P confers course credit, it is not calculated in the GPA. Students who do less than passing work (as defined by instructor and department) in a P/N course receive a mark of N. The N confers no credit and is not included in the calculation of the GPA. Students who do not pass a P/F course receive an F which counts as a zero in the calculation of the GPA.
The mark R means "registered." Students must register for the grade R during the first two weeks of the quarter. An R, requiring this special registration and conferring no credit, is seldom used by College students. (NOTE: An R should not be considered as a way to record an audit on the transcript. An audit is an informal arrangement between student and instructor and is not recorded on the transcript.) No stigma is attached to the mark R, however. An R may not be changed later to any other grade. An R does not count as a completed course for determining eligibility for financial aid, nor does it contribute to a student's completion rate in determining academic progress.
The mark I (Incomplete) indicates that a student has not completed the requirements of the course before the end of the quarter (defined as the date of the final examination or the due date of the final paper or the end of the tenth week of the quarter) but has made satisfactory arrangements with the instructor, on an official Incomplete Form, to complete the remaining work. A request for an Incomplete must be submitted to the instructor before the end of the course. The Incomplete Form must be obtained from the student's College adviser, but approval to complete work late is at the discretion of the instructor and/or according to departmental policy. Incompletes must be finished within a period of time agreed upon between student and instructor. In the absence of a specified due date, the work must be completed within one year. When the work is completed, the grade for the course is entered on the transcript beside the I, which remains on the academic record. If the course work has not been completed within the specified time period and an extension has not been granted, the student will automatically receive a W.
The mark Q stands for "Query." It is entered on the student's grade report by the registrar when the instructor has failed to submit a final grade for a student or has entered an I for the student without also submitting an Incomplete Form. Students with a Q on their grade reports should consult the instructor immediately about the reason for the Q. Students must have the Q replaced with a grade or with an official Incomplete Form before Friday of the fourth week of the succeeding quarter, or the Q will be converted to a W. A W may not subsequently be changed to any other grade.
Grades submitted by instructors to replace Q's will be entered on the academic record beside an I unless the instructor states that the student's work was completed on time. The Q should not be interpreted as an informal Incomplete or as a way to avoid an I on the transcript. Rather, students are strongly urged to protect themselves against misunderstandings and missed deadlines by arranging for an official Incomplete if one proves necessary.
The mark W (or WF or WP) means that the student has decided after the third week of the quarter not to complete the work of the course. Students who wish to exercise this option must request a W before the end of the quarter (as defined above). The instructor and/or the department have the option to issue a W, a WF, or a WP. No credit is conferred for any of these marks. A W may not subsequently be changed to any other mark.
Students who register for graduate-level courses are subject to the policies governing graduate grading. Students should discuss the implications of these policies with their advisers before registering for courses numbered 30000 and above.
Dean's List. Full-time students whose grade point averages are 3.25 or above for an academic year (in which they have completed a minimum of nine courses with at least seven quality grades) are placed on the Dean's List for that year and their official transcripts are marked accordingly. Please note that for the purposes of the Dean's List the point equivalency of an outstanding I or Q is zero. A determination is made each year on the basis of grades available in the registrar's office on July l. The GPA is not recomputed for grades received to replace Q's or I's, or for Summer Quarter grades. For course work that does not contribute to the GPA, see note above under "Grades."
Honors. See program descriptions for requirements for honors in a student's major. Students are awarded general honors at the time of graduation if their overall GPA is 3.25 or above. For course work that does not contribute to the GPA, see note above under "Grades."
Academic Warning and Probation. In each quarter of registration, students must complete on time 75 percent of the courses for which they register (i.e., at least three courses) with a minimum GPA of 1.75. A student who fails to meet this requirement is placed on academic warning for the following quarter. An academic warning is an informal sanction without a notation on the transcript. Students on academic warning are expected to complete 75 percent of the courses in the next quarter of registration with a minimum GPA of 1.75; courses must be completed on time. At the end of that quarter, students either will be returned to good standing or they will be placed on academic probation and an official sanction will be noted on the transcript. At the end of the following quarter, students are either taken off probation or asked to leave the College for a period of time, usually at least one year.
Special rules apply to first-year students. First-year students who complete either no courses or only one course in any quarter are placed directly on probation.
NOTE: Students on financial aid who fail to meet completion rate and GPA requirements and/or fail to complete nine courses each year may jeopardize their financial aid packages.
For the purpose of determining eligibility to participate in varsity sports, all students eligible to register are considered to be in good standing.
Awarding of Twelfth Grade Certificate. Students who entered the College before graduation from high school and who expect to qualify for a Twelfth Grade Certificate in the Spring Quarter should file an application with the registrar before the first week of Spring Quarter of their first year. In order to be eligible for the certificate, they must have completed during their first academic year a minimum of nine courses with an overall GPA of 1.75 or higher and the physical education requirement. Certificates are mailed following the end of Spring Quarter. No certificate is awarded without an application.
Petitions. Any student who wishes to appeal for special consideration under a College regulation or an interpretation thereof may file a petition with the dean of students in the College.