Out-of-Class Work. No
more than 30 degree credits are awarded for out-of-class work, such as
independent study, research, cooperative education courses, and
approved School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) internship courses. In those
uncommon cases where credit may have been awarded for life experiences,
these credits are viewed as out-of-class work. Students wishing to
register for more than 8 credits of independent
study/research/internship in any one semester must have the approval of
the Vice Dean for Undergraduate Education in the School of Arts and Sciences.
Pass/No Credit Courses.
Students who have completed 90 or more credits may take up to two
courses (8 credits maximum, one course per semester) on a Pass/No
Credit basis. Grades of A, B, and C correspond to Pass; grades of D and
F to No Credit.
The following courses are not eligible to be taken Pass/No Credit:
- Courses taken toward fulfillment of major, minor, or SAS Core Curriculum requirements. The Pass/No Credit option may not be exercised if the course potentially will satisfy an outstanding degree requirement.
- Courses through Rutgers Study Abroad
- Honors seminars and department-based honors courses and honors sections of courses
- Winter session courses
- Courses taken in pursuit of a second degree through SAS
Forms to request the Pass/No Credit option are available in the SAS Office of Advising and Academic Services or online at sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/forms and must be submitted by the deadline noted on the form. Once the Pass/No Credit option is in
place, it may not be reversed.
The above restrictions do not apply to courses that are only offered on a pass/no credit basis.
Repeating Courses.
A Rutgers University transcript records all courses taken at Rutgers
University and the outcome (grade or withdrawal). Students may not
repeat, for degree credit, courses bearing the same or equivalent
course numbers, with the exception of courses explicitly designated as repeatable for
credit.
Grades of F or D.
The repeated course policy was
revised in fall 2014. The below policy applies to Ds earned in the fall 2014 semester or later, and to Fs earned in any semester.
In general, when a course is
repeated in which the student previously earned a grade of F or D, both the
original grade and the new grade remain on the transcript and in the cumulative
grade-point average. However, for up to 16 credits in no more than four
courses, the grade of F or D will be removed from the Rutgers cumulative grade-point
average if the student repeats the course. The original grade of F or D will
remain on the transcript with an E prefix attached (no degree credit earned and
grade does not compute in the GPA); the repeated grade will have an R prefix
(degree credit is earned and grade computes in the GPA). For further
explanation of these and other grade prefixes, see the section on grading under
University Policies and Procedures.
This policy may be applied anytime during the undergraduate
years, but only once for a given course. The course must be repeated at Rutgers
University-New Brunswick. If the student earns an F or D a second time, only
the second grade will enter the cumulative grade-point average. This policy may
not be applied to punitive grades of F given for reasons such as academic
dishonesty. Use of this policy to remove a grade of F or D from the cumulative
grade-point average does not qualify a student for retroactive nomination to the
Dean's List nor does it rescind unsatisfactory academic standing status.
The addition of appropriate
prefixing to repeated courses will occur by the end of the semester during
which the repeated course has been taken. If a student believes that they repeated
a course and the appropriate prefixing was not applied based on the policy
above, the student may email undergrad@sas.rutgers.eduwith their name, RUID, and the course that they repeated.
Grades of D Earned Prior to the Fall 2014 Semester. The repeated course policy was
revised in fall 2014. The below policy applies to Ds earned prior to the fall
2014 semester.
When students have earned a grade of D prior to the fall 2014 semester and choose to repeat the course, credits and grades are computed in the
cumulative grade-point average for both courses, but credit is subtracted from
the degree-credit total for the repeated course. The repeated grade is denoted
by the addition of a K prefix (no degree credit and grade computes in the
GPA). If the student earns a grade of D when taking a course for a second
time and chooses to repeat the course yet again, all three grades are computed
into the cumulative grade-point average, but the student receives degree credit
only once because credit can be earned only once for a given course.
Grades of C and Above. When
students earn a grade of C or better and choose to repeat the course,
it must be repeated for E credit. Courses with E prefixes do not lead
to graduation credit and the grades are not computed in the cumulative
grade-point average. Repeating such courses is strongly discouraged.
Change of Grades. Students
are responsible for obtaining prompt information about their grades
each semester, the requirements for a change of grade, and the
requirements for the removal of a temporary grade. Under normal
circumstances, the original grade cannot be changed once the next full semester has ended or after a student has graduated. In special
situations, such as continued illness, this requirement may be waived
with the consent of the faculty member and the Dean for Undergraduate Education.
Summer Session and Winter Session Courses. Students in good academic
standing may register for the Rutgers University Summer Session via WebReg or
in person at the Summer Session office. Students may register for Winter Session
courses online at the Winter Session registration website or in person at the
Winter Session office. Students
may take no more than 12 credits during the summer. We strongly recommend no more than 6 credits in any single Summer Session interval. During Rutgers Winter Session, students may take no more than two courses
for a maximum of 3 credits, unless it is a single course of more credits.
Students on probation must obtain prior approval from an Academic Standing adviser before registering for courses during the Summer and Winter Sessions.
Students
wishing to take short-session courses at other institutions must obtain
prior approval from departments offering similar courses at Rutgers and
from an academic dean. Except when taken as part of an approved Study Abroad program, courses from institutions outside the United States taken during summer or winter sessions will generally not be accepted. Transfer preapproval forms are available online
at sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/forms and from the SAS Office of Advising and Academic Services.
Achieving
the full benefit of instruction typically requires some time for
reflection about the course content. For this reason, students should
always consult an adviser before enrolling in Summer or Winter Session courses.
Some academic departments may not apply these credits toward the major
or minor.
First-year students are not permitted to register for Winter Session courses.
Attendance and Cancellation of Classes. In accordance with Rutgers University regulations, attendance is
expected at all regularly scheduled meetings of a course and individual
courses may set policies for maximum absences.
Students missing an occasional class for unverifiable illness or personal
circumstances do not require written documentation or verification from the
dean. In these circumstances, it is the responsibility of the student to submit
the absence through the Rutgers Self-Reporting Absence website, https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra, which automatically
generates email notification to faculty teaching the student. It is up to the
instructor to determine if accommodations are warranted to allow students to
make up work that counts toward their semester grade.
Students may
obtain a note from the Office of the Dean of Students to authenticate
an extended absence that is supported by appropriate documentation. Faculty
notified of authenticated absences should make reasonable
accommodations to allow students to make up work that counts toward
their semester grade.
Absences due to religious observance,
participation in university-sponsored events or activities such as
intercollegiate athletics, or documented chronic illness are treated as
authenticated absences. Authenticated absences do not waive the overall
policy for attendance. Students who must, for any reason, miss more
than an occasional class should consult with their instructors and an
academic adviser.
It is the policy of the Rutgers University not to cancel classes on religious holidays. For information on the cancellation of classes due to inclement weather, see the University Policies and Procedures section.
World Language Courses. Two years of a high school world language or one year of
college-level world language or demonstrated proficiency in the
elementary level of a language other than English, sufficient to enroll
in an intermediate level course, is required for admission to the SAS.
Students with two or more years of a world language in high school, or whose native language is not English, are invited to continue study of that language at the level of placement as indicated by the Rutgers Placement Test. Students with a concern about their placement results should reach out to that world language department to discuss an appropriate starting point for college level study. Only students beginning study of a new world language are eligible to earn credit for elementary level language study.
Graduate Courses. Students may register for graduate courses with the approval of the
instructor, graduate director of the department offering the course,
the dean of academic affairs of the graduate school in question, and
the SAS Office of Advising and Academic Services, typically after completing at least 84 credits.
