2016-2017 Undergraduate Academic Catalog

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 eighth 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 a school dean, the dean of undergraduate studies, or by the Vice President for Academics 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 or associate/ assistant dean approval: • Any student not meeting the criteria above • Any student whose advisor is not available To request 22 or more credit hours • All students require approval of advisor, associate/assistant dean or department chair, and dean of undergraduate studies. The following situation requires Vice President for Academics approval: • When dean of undergraduate studies 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 Course work 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 Course Numbers and Designations The course numbers are designed to help students select courses at the appropriate level. The University uses the following system: 1. The first number indicates the year in which the course is usually taken. Freshmen and College Now students normally take 1000-level courses; sophomores, 1000-level or 2000-level courses; juniors, 2000-level or 3000-level courses; and seniors, 3000-level or 4000-level courses. College Now Students are limited to 1000-level or 2000-level courses unless approved by dean of undergraduate students. Courses beyond the degree student’s classification should be taken with the consent of the instructor and academic advisor. 2. The alphabetical prefixes in the course designations indicate content divisions within academic departments. For example, the prefix “BTHT” indicates that the course is a theology course in the School of Biblical and Theological Studies. The semester that the course is offered is shown in the University catalog following the course title as follows: Fa – fall; Sp – spring; and Su – summer. The number to the right of the course title indicates credit given in semester hours. The University reserves the right to offer or withhold any of the courses listed. Alternate Year Courses Some departments offer courses on alternate years. These are designated as “even years” or “odd years” based on the first school year number. Example: 2015–16 is an odd year. 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. A student who does not register by June 1 or make other special arrangements with Student Life 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 Admissions. Page 26 2016–17 Undergraduate Academic Catalog Academic Information Distance Education