Attendance and Absence Verification College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Tests Course Auditing Pass/Fail Option Course Challenging Course Changes Course Deletions Dropping Courses Course Numbers Credit for Elementary-Level French and Spanish Language Courses Foreign Language Placement Tests, Exemption and Credit for Undergraduate Students Forfeiture of Course Credit Military or Extra-Institutional Experience and Credit Withdrawal from Courses
The Vice President for Student Affairs does not certify the legitimacy of any absences. However, under the circumstances outlined below, the Office of Student Support Services may certify the legitimacy of absences.
The Office of Student Support Services does not excuse or verify routine absences. The decision to excuse an absence, allow make-up work, or reschedule or make up an exam is entirely at the discretion of each faculty member or instructor.
Students who miss a significant amount of class (generally more than one week) and have documentation that helps provide verification of the legitimacy of the absences may provide that documentation to the instructor. If there are compelling privacy concerns, Student Support Services will review the documentation at the request of the student and/or instructor. If the documentation appears sufficient to establish verification of the legitimacy of the absences, Student Support Services will send a memo to the student’s instructor(s) notifying the instructor(s) that the student has provided sufficient documentation of legitimate reasons for the absence. This memo will inform the instructor’s decisions regarding whether to and/or how to accommodate or excuse any absences. The decision to excuse an absence, allow make-up work, or reschedule or make up an exam is entirely at the discretion of each faculty member or instructor.
All students challenging a course must: (1) not be currently enrolled in or withdrawn from the course to be challenged, nor have previously completed the course at any institution; (2) be currently enrolled in the University as a degree-seeking student; and (3) complete and file an official Course Challenge Form with the Registrar of the University prior to taking the examination.
Following the examination, the instructor of record must record a grade with the Registrar. Based upon the results of the examination, regular grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, or F are assigned for the challenged course, unless the course is not one authorized to receive these grades, in which case the appropriate grade will be assigned from among those available for the course.
Hours earned using course challenge do not count in the determination of full- and part-time status.
Students are expected to attend classes on a regular basis during the drop/add period. A student who incurs an
excessive number of absences may be withdrawn from the class at the discretion of the professor. Students who find it
necessary to make adjustments in their class schedules during the drop/add period must follow the procedures and adhere
to the deadlines. Effective spring 2006, students may drop undergraduate-level courses through the fourth business day
of classes and may drop graduate-level courses through the sixth business day of classes. The number of days for drop/add
during the summer term varies depending on the session.
No course may be added to a student's schedule after the applicable drop/add deadline, with the exception of
a research, dissertation, or thesis course at the graduate level. Exceptions to this policy require the approval of the
instructor of the course,
the department head/program director, and the student's dean.
Fee Adjustments--Tuition is charged on a per semester hour basis for up to 12 hours.
Full tuition is charged for 12 or more semester hours. If a schedule change results in an
additional fee being due, the student should report to the Bursar's Office to pay
additional fees. No academic credit will be given unless all fees are paid by the end of the
designated fee payment deadline.
Course deletion requires a written student petition followed by the review and approval of the instructor of the
course, the department head/program director, and the dean. Questions concerning course deletion should be directed to
the dean's office of the student's school or college.
No refund is available for a reduction in hours due to individual course withdrawals except when accomplished during the drop/add period.
Students should be aware that a reduction in their hours may affect their Student Financial Aid, the HOPE scholarship, athletic and ticket eligibility, University housing accommodations, use of University resources and access to University facilities, immigration status for international students, Veterans Educational Benefits (if applicable), and the loss of full-time student status, which can lead to health insurance cancellation. Students should contact the appropriate office with questions about the impact of a reduction in their hours. Students who are returning from academic dismissal are advised to consult with their academic advisor prior to dropping or withdrawing from a course. Veterans and dependents of veterans who receive educational benefits must notify the Veterans Education Benefits Area in the Office of the Registrar of any course load reductions.
If a drop or a withdrawal is initiated by someone other than the instructor, the instructor and the student will be notified by the Office of the Registrar of the drop/withdrawal.
No instructional unit shall drop a student for lack of a prerequisite after the end of one calendar week from the beginning of the term.
Students admitted to the University are expected to have met the College Preparatory
Curriculum (CPC) requirement of two units of one foreign language. Students who have
not met the CPC requirement may register for the elementary-level course to satisfy
the requirement with the understanding that 1) the course will not satisfy degree
requirements, 2) the course and grade will appear on the student's transcript, and
3) the grade awarded will be included in all grade point averages calculated.
Students may register for and receive degree credit for the first elementary French or Spanish
language course, numbered 1001, if they are not using the course to satisfy the CPC
requirement and have not taken, or have taken only one year of, this language in
high school.
Four hours of credit may be awarded from an American Council on Education (ACE) Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Any additional credit may be authorized by the appropriate department.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Tests
The University of Georgia academic departments do not accept CLEP scores for initial course credit or placement for students enrolling at UGA. Course work credit, based on CLEP scores and reflected on transcripts submitted by the applicant for transferable course work, may be accepted at UGA. CLEP Transfer credit is not counted towards minimum requirements for admission.
Course Auditing
Students may audit courses with the approval of their academic dean and the department offering the course. The registration procedure is the same as registration for credit except that the auditor must request audit status at the time of registration.
Fees for auditors are the same as those for students registered for credit. After the drop/add period, credit registrations may not be changed to audit, and audit registrations may not be changed to credit registrations.
However, a student may withdraw from an audited course at any time with a grade of WP. No punitive grade may be assigned.
Pass/Fail Option
The pass/fail option is intended to reward students who wish to take courses outside their
majors and who are making satisfactory progress in their studies. Students who were classified as full-time during the preceding academic year, who have
a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, and who have the approval of their advisors may enroll in
elective courses outside their majors on a pass/fail basis.
During the semester they enroll in a pass/fail course, students must also take a minimum of 12 additional hours (6 hours during summer) of graded (A-F) coursework at the University. Pass/fail courses will appear on
the official transcript with a grade of "S" or "U." These grades do not count in the
computation of the grade point average. No more than three pass/fail courses may be counted towards an
undergraduate degree. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis beyond this limit will earn institutional credit but will not count
toward graduation. Once the drop/add period is over, a student who has registered for a course on the pass/fail option
may not, for any reason, change to A-F grading or vice versa. Students enrolled in pass/fail courses shall receive a “U”
if withdrawn from the course after the midpoint of the academic term, except in those cases in which the student is doing
satisfactory work and the withdrawal is recommended by the Office of Student Affairs because of emergency or health
reasons. A student who earns a “U” in a pass/fail course is not eligible for Presidential Scholar or Dean’s List in the term in
which the grade is assigned and also is not eligible to graduate with First Honor Graduate status.
Course Challenging
Under some circumstances, the University allows a student the opportunity to receive resident credit for courses by examination without attending the regular classes.
Not all courses can be challenged; each academic department determines the standards of eligibility for students requesting to challenge a course. Students
should check with the department regarding the procedure for course challenging, and may find the contact information for each by choosing their course’s prefix
here. An online Course Challenging form can be found on the Office of the Registrar’s website.
Course Changes
It is the responsibility of students to select the appropriate courses for their degree program. If students are uncertain as to their degree requirements, they should consult with their academic advisor/dean prior to scheduling.
Course Deletions
A course deletion refers to an administrative process whereby the course is removed from the student's record after
the designated drop/add period and, if appropriate, a refund is generated. In order to have a course deleted from the
student's record, it must be determined that the University is responsible for the student being in the course in error.
Dropping Courses
Students may drop one, some, or all of their classes through the drop/add period without receiving any grade. However, students who fail to drop a course or wish to withdraw from a course after the designated drop/add period for a term (or the last day of drop/add for the related summer session), but before the designated withdrawal deadline, must withdraw through OASIS (Online Access to the Student Information System).
Course Numbers
Courses numbered less than 1000 are either non-credit or academic assistance courses;
those from 1000 to 1999 are designed for first- and second-year (junior division) students;
those numbered 2000 to 2999 are mainly second-year courses but, in special instances when
justified by course and curricular requirements, may be given senior division (third- and
fourth-year) classification. Courses numbered 3000 to 3999 are generally designed for mixtures
of third- and fourth-year students. Courses taken by third- and fourth-year students along with graduate
students carry the numbers 4000 to 5999 for undergraduates and 6000 to 7999 for graduate
students. Courses numbered 8000 or 9000 are open only to graduate students. Courses which
carry an H suffix are Honors courses.
Credit for Elementary-Level French and Spanish Language Courses
University of Georgia students who have taken two years of a language in high school
may not receive degree credit for the first elementary French or Spanish language
courses, numbered 1001, in that language.
Foreign Language Placement Tests, Exemption and Credit for Undergraduate Students
For information regarding the policy for foreign language placement tests, exemption and credit, please see
Section 2.02-6 in the Academic Affairs Policy Manual.
Forfeiture of Course Credit
By registering for and receiving a grade in a course for which credit hours
have already been granted, either by work at the University or by transfer,
a student forfeits the previous credits in that course. All grades, however,
will be included in the student's UGA cumulative average, if UGA credit, and
the overall average.
Military or Extra-Institutional Experience and Credit
United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI) courses are not recognized by the University unless they are completed through an accredited institution which grants recognized college credit for same. Such courses are regular correspondence courses and are administered under the Cooperating College Program of USAFI.
Withdrawal from Courses
Effective fall 2008, all undergraduate students are limited to four course withdrawal-passing (WP) grades during their enrollment at UGA. Withdrawal grades (W or WF) accumulated prior to fall 2008 will not be counted in the application of this policy. Transfer grades of W, WP, and WF, i.e., any withdrawals earned at an institution other than UGA, and a grade of WM assigned for a military withdrawal, are not considered in the application of this policy. For further information about military withdrawal, please visit the Student Support Services website.
A student- or instructor-initiated withdrawal after the student’s fourth WP will result in the automatic assignment of a withdrawal-failing (WF) grade. If a student withdraws from a course and the associated lab taken concurrently, it will be counted as only one withdrawal for purposes of this policy.
Students may drop one, some, or all of their classes during the drop/add period. Courses dropped in this manner do not appear on a student’s transcript and are not considered as hours attempted for financial aid purposes. No grade is assigned for such courses. However, a student who wishes to withdraw from a course after the last day of the drop period for a term must withdraw through OASIS (Online Access to the Student Information System).
If the student withdraws before the semester’s withdrawal deadline and has not yet received 4 grades of WP, the instructor will be asked to assign a grade of WP or WF. If the student has already accumulated 4 WP grades, a grade of WF will be automatically assigned. If the student withdraws after the midpoint withdrawal deadline of the semester, the instructor must assign a grade of WF.
An instructor may withdraw a student from a course due to excessive absences as defined in the course syllabus. If such a withdrawal occurs after the drop/add period and the student does not yet have 4 grades of WP, the instructor will have the option to assign a grade of WP or WF. If the student has already accumulated 4 grades of WP, the instructor must assign a grade of WF.
If a withdrawal is initiated by someone other than the instructor, the instructor and the student will be notified by the Office of the Registrar of the withdrawal. If a student with fewer than four WP course grades is withdrawn from a class prior to the withdrawal deadline, the instructor will have the option to assign a grade of WP or WF.
If a student experiences significant personal hardship (e.g., medical or family emergency, prolonged illness), the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs (OVPSA) can facilitate a hardship withdrawal from courses for which a student is registered for the term. A hardship withdrawal cannot ordinarily be used to withdraw selectively from some courses while remaining enrolled in other courses. Selective withdrawal will be permitted only under exceptional circumstances. A hardship withdrawal does not guarantee a grade of WP; it is each instructor’s prerogative to assign a grade of WP or WF.
If a student is suspended by the Office of Student Conduct following a violation of the University’s Code of Conduct not related to academic dishonesty, the OVPSA may facilitate a University-initiated withdrawal from courses for which a student is registered for the term. A University-initiated withdrawal does not guarantee a grade of WP; each instructor should assign a grade of WP or WF based on the student’s academic performance at the time of withdrawal.
If sufficient documentation is provided and a hardship or University-initiated withdrawal is approved by the OVPSA, the OVPSA will work with each instructor to assign a withdrawal grade for each course. A WP course grade assigned due to a hardship or University-initiated withdrawal will not be counted in the application of this policy.
All probation and exclusion rules apply regardless of the circumstances of the withdrawal. For more information, see General Academic Regulations related to Academic Probation and Academic Dismissal.
No student shall be withdrawn from a course for lack of a prerequisite after the end of one calendar week from the beginning of the term.
No refund is available for a reduction in hours due to individual course withdrawals that occur after the drop/add period.
Students should be aware that a reduction in their hours may affect their Student Financial Aid, the HOPE scholarship, athletic and ticket eligibility, University housing accommodations, use of University resources and access to University facilities, immigration status for international students, Veterans Educational Benefits, and the loss of full-time student status, which can lead to health insurance cancellation. Students should contact the appropriate office and their academic advisor with questions about the impact of their withdrawal from a course before initiating a withdrawal. Students who are returning from academic dismissal are advised to consult with their academic advisor prior to withdrawal because violation of the minimum enrollment requirements can lead to a second dismissal from the University. Veterans and dependents of veterans who receive educational benefits must notify the Veterans Education Benefits Area in the Office of the Registrar of any course load reductions.
Portions related to University-initiated withdrawals were added spring 2011, and will be effective summer 2011.