2009-2010 - Bowie State University

1. Students wishing to take advantage of the clemency policy must have been readmitted to
the University.
2. The student must petition for clemency during the first semester of his/her re‐admittance to
the University. The Academic Clemency Form may be secured from the Office of the
Registrar.
3. The petition should be submitted no later than the end of the first year of the student’s
return to the University. The petition must be completed and signed by the chairperson and
academic dean.
4. Once the Dean has approved or denied the student’s request for academic clemency, the
decision will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar for processing.
Student Credit Load
Students usually complete a program of study for the baccalaureate degree in four (4) to six (6) years. To
complete most programs in four (4) years, the student must maintain good academic standing and
successfully complete 30‐36 semester hours each academic year. The minimum requirement for
graduation is one hundred and twenty (120) semester hours; some programs such as elementary and
early childhood/special education require more, in keeping with NCATE and state standards.
A student’s academic credit load is normally fifteen (15) hours per semester. A student may register for
a maximum of two courses per summer session and for a maximum of two courses in the winter minisemester.
Incoming freshmen placed in three developmental courses are restricted to no more than
thirteen (13) semester hours during the first semester of enrollment. Students are assessed an
additional fee for each developmental course.
The minimum semester hour load for a full‐time student is twelve (12) semester hours, and the
maximum semester load is eighteen (18). Students who are in good academic standing—cumulative
GPA of 3.50 or higher based on thirty (30) consecutive quality hours completed at Bowie State
University—may pursue up to twenty‐one (21) semester hours in a semester with the permission of the
Dean of his/her School. Students wishing to enroll in more than twenty‐one (21) semester hours must
have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher and demonstrated the ability to
manage the course load sought. Full‐time students with semester hours in excess of eighteen (18) will
pay the per semester hour rates beyond eighteen (18) semester hours.
Classification of Students
Students are classified according to the following semester hours:
Freshman 0 – 29
Sophomore 0 – 59
Junior 60 – 89
Senior 90+
Course Numbering
All courses are numbered according to the following scheme:
099‐100 Developmental
101‐199 Primarily for Freshmen
200‐299 Primarily for Sophomores
300‐399 Primarily for Juniors
Bowie State University 109