Definitions

Class Levels

Students are considered freshmen until they have completed over 29 credit hours; sophomores have completed 30 to 59 credit hours; juniors have completed 60 to 89 credit hours, and seniors have completed 90 or more credit hours.

Credit Hours

Credit for academic work completed at Roosevelt University is earned in credit hours. Credit hours for each course are listed in the catalog and the course schedule. The number of credit hours determines the hours of active or scheduled instruction required in a course ("contact hours"). For example, a 3 credit-hour course requires 37.5 contact hours per term. For non-standard course formats (e.g., online) to receive equivalent credit, they must meet similar curricular goals and outcomes. That is, the course must contain similar content, goals, objectives, and learning outcomes. Longer periods are required for one credit hour in laboratory courses and certain applied courses in art, drawing,  and music.

Course Load

An undergraduate student is considered full-time if they are enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours per academic term. A student is considered part-time if enrolled in fewer than 12 credit hours in an academic term.

Students are not permitted to take more than 18 credit hours without the written consent of the dean of the college in which they are enrolled. The university reserves the right to limit a student’s course load when determined to be in the student's best interest. A student on academic probation is limited to 12 credit hours of work during the fall and spring and six credit hours of work in the summer.

Course Numbering System

Courses offered at Roosevelt University are identified by a subject area abbreviation and a course number. Course numbers differentiate courses that are appropriate for particular populations of students and identify varying levels of content in programs of study. The course numbering system also helps advisors and students find appropriate courses. Courses are categorized in the following levels:

Developmental courses carry numbers below 100 (0-99).  Such coursework is confined to English composition, Math and the English Language Program. Developmental courses focus on bringing students’ skills to the college level. These courses carry no credit toward the hours required for the degree, although they count for tuition and financial aid purposes.

Lower-division courses are numbered 100 to 299.  These courses are intended primarily for freshmen and sophomores, but juniors and seniors may also take them.  Transfer credit accepted from two-year colleges usually corresponds to 100- and 200-level offerings.  Lower-division courses include introductory or survey courses without prerequisites.  However, certain classes carry prerequisites, especially those open to students with majors outside the departments offering the courses. Prerequisites are published yearly in the university catalog and are also viewable in the Course Finder class schedule for each semester.

Upper-Division Courses are numbered from 300 to 399.  These courses are intended primarily for juniors and seniors who satisfy any prerequisites. Upper-division courses usually include greater focus or depth in content and are often taken within a student’s program of study.

Prior Learning Credit

Roosevelt University may accept up to 30 credit hours of prior learning credit from various sources, including Advanced Placement exams, International Baccalaureate exams, College Level Examination Program exams, and American Council on Education credit recommendations.

Individualized Course Sections

Individualized course sections are created by an academic program for a specific purpose to meet a student's academic needs. They are not listed in the Coursefinder (schedule) online and may include theses, dissertations, project research, master’s degree projects, doctoral projects, internships, independent studies, and courses by arrangement. Only degree-seeking students are eligible to enroll in individualized sections or independent studies classes. Online registration is not available for an individualized section. In some programs, an individualized course section may be required for graduation (e.g., theses, dissertations, etc.). Students should work closely with their advisors and study programs to determine if an individualized course section is appropriate and to register for the course.  See the How to Register webpage for more detail on procedures for registering for an individualized section.

International Students (UG)

Students in F-1/J-1 status must be full-time (12 credit hours) during the fall and spring semesters. Summer attendance is not required.

Internships

Twelve credits is the maximum number of internship credits that may be applied toward graduation. 

Auditing Courses (UG)

Students may audit selected courses. Students auditing a course must attend classes consistent with the instructor’s attendance policy and participate in any course requirements and examinations. No academic credit is granted for the course, and the grade of audit (AU) is the only grade recorded. It cannot be changed to another grade at a later date.  The cost of an audited course is 50% of the regular tuition plus all applicable fees. Credit hours for an audited course cannot be included in the credit hour load for financial aid eligibility. Students should indicate that they wish to audit the course at the time of registration but no later than one week after the start of the term.  For more detail, please see the procedures for registering.

Grading and Grade Options

Grades

A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F

A student’s academic progress is indicated by grades A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- or F in completed courses. Each program determines minimum grade requirements for courses in their program. No credit is awarded for a grade of F.

P/F (pass/fail)

Undergraduate students may register for courses with a Pass/Fail grade option after obtaining approval from their academic advisor.  A grade of “P” indicates a quality of work at the C- or higher level. The number of semester hours of such courses may not exceed one-half of the total semester hour load for that term.  The total number of semester hours with Pass/Fail grades should not exceed 30 semester hours.  Credit hours for which the grade of "P" is received will be counted toward degree requirements but will be omitted from calculating the student’s grade point average.  However, a grade of "F" (Fail) will be included in the GPA calculation. Details are available on the registration page. Students should indicate that they wish to take the course pass/fail at the time of registration but no later than one week after the start of the term. Not all pass/fail grade requests will be approved. Some courses may be excluded from the pass/fail grading option.

IP (in progress)

The grade IP is given only in specific courses designated by a college, such as independent study, thesis, and internship.

I (incomplete)

A grade of incomplete may be given only with the consent of the instructor and appropriate notification to the Office of the Registrar and the instructor’s dean or department chair.

A student should only receive an Incomplete grade if:

• The student initiates the request for an incomplete grade before the end of the academic term; and
• The student is in good standing the course and has completed a majority of the coursework (usually at least 75% of the coursework); and
• A medical condition or other serious, non-academic extenuating circumstance (as documented with the Office of the Dean of Students) prevents them from completing a small portion of the coursework required to complete the course prior to the end of the term; and
• The required work may be reasonably completed in an agreed-upon timeframe with the faculty member (no later than the end of the next semester, excluding summer); and
• The required work does not require the student to retake any portion of the course.

When entering an Incomplete grade in RU Access, the instructor will be required to complete the “I-grade contract” for any student receiving an I grade. Instructors must also communicate to the student via RU email the details listed in the “I-grade contract” (the work to be done and the due dates). If a student’s medical condition or personal circumstances prevents them from communicating with the instructor, a staff member may reach out to the instructor on the student’s behalf. However, the course instructor is still responsible for communicating directly with the student via RU email regarding the incomplete grade and the terms of the I-grade contract.

Students must complete the course requirements by the date the instructor has set, as indicated in the I-grade contract. If no date is indicated, students must complete the course requirements prior to the end of the following semester.

For work completed within the deadline, the incomplete grade will be removed when:

• The instructor manually updates the final grade using a grade update form, changing the I grade to a letter grade evaluating the student’s academic performance (A, B, C, D, P, F);
  
  OR
   
• If the instructor does not update the grade before the end of the following semester (excluding summer), the Registrar will convert incompletes with no grade submitted and no extension granted to the default grade (A, B, C, D, or F). The default grade is the grade submitted by the faculty member when the original incomplete grade was granted. If no default grade is specified, a grade of F will be automatically submitted.

W (withdrawal)

Students may withdraw from a course and receive a grade of “W” upon written request submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the published deadline on the Important Dates and Class Schedules page. Approval by a financial aid counselor is also required if the student is receiving financial aid. Students should also inform their instructors of their intention to drop courses.

After the published deadline, no grade of W will be permitted for academic reasons, and the student will be graded solely on academic performance at the end of the term. Stopping attendance or notifying an instructor, advisor, or any other staff or faculty member is not considered an official withdrawal. It may result in receiving a failing grade and being responsible for the full tuition payment. For more details, please see procedures for withdrawals and petitions for late withdrawal for non-academic reasons.

Late Withdrawal

A student wishing to withdraw from a course after the withdrawal deadline has passed may petition for a late W grade. Petitions for a Late Withdrawal are entertained only because of extraordinary non-academic circumstances, such as unforeseen medical or other personal circumstances that have significantly and unexpectedly inhibited the student’s ability to complete the course(s). Students may request a late withdrawal at any time within one calendar year of course completion. The Petition for Late Withdrawal and information on the approval process is available through the Office of the Dean of Students.

Repeated Courses

A student may repeat a course to improve a grade. The grade achieved on the repeated course taken at Roosevelt appears on the academic record and the grade from the first attempt. However, only the highest grade earned for the course is used to calculate hours earned and in computing the GPA. The policy does not entitle the student to a retroactive degree or honors and does not change the historical recording of academic standing. Students must contact their academic advisor to obtain approval to repeat a course.

For more information, please see the procedures for repeating courses. Information on repeated courses' eligibility for financial aid is available on the Financial Aid web pages.

Changes to Class Sections (replace Cancelled Classes)

The University reserves the right to close sections of classes and/or add new sections of classes as conditions warrant. In addition, the University reserves the right to change instructors from those listed in the Class Schedule whenever such a change is necessary. If a student is registered for a canceled class, that student will be dropped automatically and receive a notification in their Roosevelt email. Students should consult with their advisor to find an alternative course. Students receiving financial aid should consult their counselors regarding implications for their aid.