Academic Regulations

Course Load

Undergraduate Students

A full-time student carries from 12-18 semester hours of credit in both fall and spring semesters. Credits in excess of 18 require the approval of the appropriate Dean, who will base the decision on such factors as grades, distribution of courses, extracurricular activities, health, and outside employment of the student. A maximum of six credits can be taken in one summer session. Undergraduate students who have senior status (completed 90 credits or more) may be permitted to take up to 12 graduate credits with the permission of the department chair and deans. Students requesting persmission must have a minimum of 3.00 grade point average.

Graduate Students

A full-time student carries from 9 - 16 semester hours of credit in both fall and spring semesters. Credits in excess of 16 require the approval of the appropriate Dean.

Credit Hour Definition

Marywood University defines its credit hour in compliance with both United States and Pennsylvania Department of Education requirements.  Marywood designs its academic calendar to meet or exceed the minimum standards for class meetings, assuring that there are 14 hours of classroom instruction, exclusive of holidays or final examinations.  The credit hour consists of one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction per week with two hours of out of classroom work over the course of the fifteen week semester.  Thereby, each semester consists of 14 hours of classroom instruction with a 15th week devoted to a final examination or culminating experience and each credit hour represents fifteen contact hours spent in class.   In the case of a three credit course, the student will have 45 contact hours spent in class for a total of 135 hours of work inside and outside the classroom.  For all alternate instructional delivery methods, laboratories, or independent studies the credit hour represents an equivalent to the minimum requirement for classroom instruction.  Summer sessions meet the required instructional hours per credit in the compressed timeframe of a shorter six week session.

Undergraduate Academic Standards

A student must attain a cumulative quality point average (QPA) of 2.00 to satisfy degree requirements. A minimum of 2.33 is required in one's major. Some major programs require a higher QPA. Individual program descriptions provide specific information.

Good Standing - A student is in good standing when his/her cumulative quality point average is at least 2.00.

Warning - Whenever the quality point average for a semester is less than 2.00, but the cumulative quality point average is 2.00 or better, the student will be warned.

Probation - A student will be placed on probation if a QPA of 1.00 is not achieved in any given semester or whenever his/her quality point average falls below 2.00. Probation is temporary; it is, therefore, not included in the student's academic record. A first semetser student's quality point average is the same as his or her cumulative quality point average. The consequences of being on probation include:
1. academic dismissal afer one semester on probation if the student's QPA does not improve significantly;
2. possible required reduction in course load;
3. ineligibility to participate in varsity athletics;
4. ineligibility to hold office in Student Government;
5. loss of financial aid.

Repeated Probation - If a student's cumulative quality point average increases and, though still below 2.00, indicates possibility to attain the standards required for graduation, the student may be continued on probation for another semester.

Dismissal - Upon recommendation of the Committee on Grades, Honors, and Academic Standing, the appropriate dean will dismiss:
1. a student who fails to improve his/her cumulative quality point average at the end of a semester or more on probation.
2. a student whose cumulative quality point average increases, though still remaining below 2.00, if the student's academic record indicates little potential for attaining the academic standards required for graduation. (Academic dismissal is recorded on the student's academic record.)
3. a student who has had previous but unconsecutive semesters on probation.
4. a student who fails to achieve a 1.00 in any two semesters.

Students may also be dismissed for other academic reasons, such as academic dishonesty.