Academic Standards and Regulations
Amendment of Degree Requirements
Course-By-Arrangement
The courses required for a specific degree are in the university catalog and are listed on students’ worksheets. Any change in program course requirements must be approved by the student’s program coordinator/department chair and school dean. A form for this purpose may be obtained online or from the Office of the Registrar. The completed and approved form must be received by the Office of the Registrar before the change will become effective.
Course-by-arrangement is a Southern New Hampshire University course appearing in the university catalog and required in the student’s academic program of study, yet extraordinary circumstances prevent the student from enrolling in the course when it is normally offered. Courseby-arrangement is available to Southern New Hampshire University undergraduates, who are unable to obtain a required course during the normal registration and scheduling process.
No changes to the B.A./B.S. core course requirements are allowed.
Change of Major
School of Professional and Continuing Education students must review the master course schedules of area centers to verify that the required course is not being offered.
Students who want to change their majors must obtain the appropriate form online or from the Office of the Registrar. The completed and approved form must be received by the Office of the Registrar before the change will become effective.
Students must identify a Southern New Hampshire University full-time or adjunct faculty member consenting to teach and grade the work. The faculty member must be approved to teach the requested course.
When students change from an associate degree program to a bachelor’s degree program, the courses he or she has completed will be deemed as part of the bachelor’s degree program.
Course-by-arrangement applications require:
Worksheets Each student’s academic progress is tracked on a worksheet. This document shows the degree requirements for the major according to the year the student entered or changed majors. All the courses listed must be successfully completed to qualify for a degree. Students should follow the course sequence on their worksheets.
Independent Study A Southern New Hampshire University student may take an independent study course in any subject area. Conditions: • The course content is not offered in any regularly scheduled Southern New Hampshire University course. • A full-time Southern New Hampshire University faculty member in the department of the course subject area agrees to supervise the student and grade the student’s work, or a Southern New Hampshire University adjunct instructor, approved by the appropriate program coordinator/department chair and the school dean, agrees to supervise the student and grade the student’s work. • All independent study courses will be at the 400 level. • An independent study course has a value of no more than three credits.
• a letter of extenuating circumstance justifying the offering of a course-by-arrangement • a regular, weekly meeting schedule be established to ensure proper supervision of the student’s progress in the course • a syllabus stating course objectives and evaluation process • a defined time frame (semester, terms)
Credit for Prior Learning Through Portfolio Assessment Students must have been accepted into an undergraduate Southern New Hampshire University associate or bachelor’s degree program. Students must have earned a minimum of nine credits at Southern New Hampshire University to be eligible to present a portfolio for review. Students must request a portfolio review prior to earning their final 18 credits at Southern New Hampshire University. This applies to students in associate and bachelor’s degree programs. Portfolio reviews will be accepted only for courses that are part of Southern New Hampshire University’s curriculum. Awarded credit may be applied to core, major or elective course requirements. All course prerequisites must be met prior to presenting the portfolio. A full-time Southern New Hampshire University instructor must be involved in reviewing the portfolio. A maximum of nine credits can be earned by way of portfolio review for an associate degree program. A maximum of 15 credits can be earned for a bachelor’s degree program.
• The study is approved by the student’s advisor, program coordinator and the school dean. • It is the student’s responsibility to research and approach qualified full-time or adjunct faculty to teach and coordinate the independent study. 93