2011-2012 Undergraduate Academic Catalog

Page 28 2011–12 Undergraduate Catalog Introduction Admissions Academic Information Academic Departments Course Descriptions Financial Information Appendix Index General Education Course Sequence Many of the general education requirements provide important background for advanced courses that are required as a part of a major field of study. Consequently, in most programs many of these requirements are taken in the first two years of the four-year curriculum. The sample four-year curriculum found by each major field of study in the catalog outlines this sequence. Because of the importance of several of the requirements to all students, the following six courses must be completed before the beginning of the junior year or before a student earns 61 semester hours: • BEGE-1710 Christian Life and Thought • BEGE-1720 Spiritual Formation • COM-1100 Fundamentals of Speech • ENG-1400 Composition • PEF-1990 Physical Activity and the Christian Life • The VII, C. Quantitative Course Requirement Course Load Assuming that proficiency requirements have been satisfied, a minimum of 128 semester hours is required for graduation. A student should average at least 16 credit hours each semester to graduate upon completion of the 8th semester. A normal course load is 15–18.5 hours each semester. Students working more than 20 hours per week are advised not to carry a full course of studies. A student’s academic load is subject to reduction or limitation by an assistant or associate academic vice president or by the academic vice president for poor scholarship or excessive work outside of school hours. Students who wish to take more than 18.5 credit hours must obtain permission through the following procedure: To request 19–21.5 credit hours The following students require advisor approval: • SENIORS with at least a 2.3 cumulative GPA • SOPHOMORES and JUNIORS with at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA • FRESHMEN with at least a 2.7 cumulative GPA • All students without a Cedarville University GPA who scored at least a 25 or equivalent on the ACT The following students require department chair approval: • Any student not meeting the criteria above • Any student whose advisor is not available The following students require assistant or associate academic vice president approval: • Any student whose department chair is not available To request 22 or more credit hours • All students require approval of advisor, department chair, and assistant or associate academic vice president The following situation requires academic vice president approval: • When assistant or associate academic vice president is not available Distance Education Cedarville University does not offer correspondence credits, and it does not accept correspondence credits from institutions that do not have accreditation from a recognized United States regional accrediting agency. In some unusual circumstances, the University may accept correspondence credits from regionally accredited institutions of higher learning, but a student may not utilize more than 10 semester hours of correspondence credits toward fulfilling degree requirements. Cedarville University does offer several online learning courses, and it does accept this type of course from institutions that are accredited by a U.S. regional accrediting agency. Distance learning courses are subject to the same policies and restrictions as normal transfer courses. The University reviews and processes credits received for distance learning and correspondence study in the same manner as transfer credits. For additional information, contact the office of the registrar. Transient Study Coursework to be completed at other institutions by a student enrolled at Cedarville University must be approved before the course is taken by securing the signatures of the transfer coordinator, the student’s academic advisor, and the chair of the academic department governing the course requirement that the transferred course is to satisfy. Transient Study Applications are available in the office of the registrar. An official transcript must be received before transfer credit will be evaluated and recorded. Registration for Courses Continuing at the University The University assumes that a student will continue taking courses from semester to semester unless the student graduates, is asked to leave for academic or disciplinary reasons, or withdraws voluntarily. To assist in planning each academic term, the University asks each student to register for the upcoming academic term during early registration. This secures courses for the student and enables the University to make enrollment decisions for that term. A student who owes money to the University may not register for future academic terms. Enrolled students register for fall semester courses at the end of each spring semester. To retain these course selections and confirm the intention to enroll in the fall semester, each student must submit a reservation deposit of $250 by May 1. This deposit also reserves a place in college housing for single students under 25 years of age. The deposit is credited to the student’s account and may be used to help cover fall semester expenses. Should the student decide to withdraw from the University before July 1, $150 of this deposit is refundable. After July 1, the $250 deposit is nonrefundable. A student who does not register and submit the continuing student reservation deposit by June 1 or make other special arrangements with the student life office will be considered withdrawn. Any student who withdraws voluntarily or is involuntarily withdrawn must apply and be approved for readmission to return as a student to the University. Readmission forms and information are available from the admissions office. Course Registration Registration dates for each session are listed in the annual academic calendar. Early registration periods may be designated for currently enrolled students. During early registration, the University allows students to register for courses for the upcoming academic term. Students register for courses by academic classification and are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this early registration opportunity, rather than registering after the start of an academic term. Students who register early for a term but do not return the following semester must notify the office of the registrar of their change in status. Registration information, including registration instructions and course schedules for the semester, is prepared by the office of the registrar prior to each registration period. Information regarding course offerings and sections is available on the University website.