Undergraduate Bulletin - Loyola Marymount University

Arrangements to undertake an Independent Studies course
must be completed during the semester prior to the one
in which the student expects to enroll in the course. An
Independent Studies course is considered part of the
student’s semester program. Registration for such courses
takes place only during the regular registration periods.
Course Load
In Fall or Spring semesters, students in good standing from
the previous semester may register for 18 semester hours; 19
semester hours or more constitutes an academic overload,
for which approval from the student’s Dean is required.
Extra tuition is charged to any student who registers in 19
semester hours or more. For Summer, students in good
standing may register for 6 semester hours per session.
Credit by Challenge Examination
A student may obtain credit by examination for
undergraduate courses in the Loyola Marymount University
Bulletin in selected undergraduate courses as approved by
the course Chairperson and student’s Dean.
To challenge an LMU undergraduate course by examination,
a student must be regularly enrolled and a full-time student.
A course may be challenged only once and only during
the Fall and Spring semesters, not during the Summer.
Students may not challenge a course that is at a level more
elementary than one in which they are currently enrolled
or for which they have already received credit. Moreover,
a student may not challenge a course which has been
audited. Nor may students challenge a course for which
they have received a W, I, NC, or F until a period of one year
has elapsed from the time of their original registration in
the course. A challenge examination once failed may not be
repeated. 100- and 200-level courses in the Department of
Modern Languages and Literatures may not be challenged.
A petition for receiving course credit by examination
must be obtained from the Office of the Registrar. The
examination carries a fee of $50, payable in advance and
non-refundable.
Credit/No Credit Grading
Students may not be graded on a Credit/No Credit basis in
courses which are part of a major, minor, or core curriculum
program. Credit courses count toward the fulfillment of
graduation requirements. Neither Credit (CR) nor No Credit
(NC) grades affect the student’s grade point average. Once
the petition for either grade or Credit/No Credit basis has
been filed in the Office of the Registrar, it may not be
rescinded or changed after the last day of registration.
ACADEMIC DEGREE REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES / 61
Students may be graded on this basis for not more than
20% of their total semester hours at LMU. Students wishing
to be graded on this basis must file the appropriate petition
in the Office of the Registrar by the published date in the
Academic Calendar.
In the case of courses that are graded on a Credit/No Credit
basis, the student may petition the instructor for a letter
grade with the approval of the Dean, before the end of the
third week of the semester.
In order for a student to receive a grade of Credit, the work
must be of C (2.0) or better.
Cross-Listed Courses
A cross-listed course is one that carries credit in more than
one department or program. Students may not enroll in
more than one section of a cross-listed course and may
receive credit in one department only.
Diploma
Diplomas are granted and mailed to students who have
completed all academic degree requirements and who
have no outstanding financial obligations to the University.
Diplomas left unclaimed are destroyed after three years.
Students must re-order destroyed diplomas.
Double Credit
A student may not count the same course to meet the
requirements for both an undergraduate and a graduate
degree.
Electives
Elective courses do not fulfill requirements in the student’s
University Core, major(s) or minor(s) programs, but they do
fulfill overall semester hours requirements.
Final Examinations
Students are required to take all scheduled examinations.
Final examinations are to be held at the time published by
the Office of the Registrar. No student is allowed to take a
final examination before the scheduled time.
Full-Time Standing
Any undergraduate student carrying 12 or more semester
hours in the Fall or Spring term is considered a full-time
student. Students carrying fewer than 12 semester hours
are classified as part-time students. This applies to the
academic standing. For Summer, an undergraduate
enrolled in 6 or more semester hours is considered a fulltime
student and fewer than 6 semester hours a part-time
student. Please refer to the Financial Aid full-time/part-time
standing for an explanation of how that department defines
full-time standing and the impact on financial aid awards.