Registration Guidelines and Definitions

Contact Hours

UAA academic policy has established the following minimum contact times. Most lecture/discussion courses require a minimum of 750 minutes of contact time and a minimum of 1,500 minutes of course-related work completed outside the classroom to award 1 credit. Some courses require more than 750 minutes of contact time and more than 1,500 minutes of course-related work completed outside the classroom.

One contact hour is defined as 50 minutes of contact time per week in a 15-week semester.

Courses may not be offered for more than 1 credit each week.

One continuing education unit (CEU) may be granted for satisfactory completion of 10 contact hours of classroom instruction or for 20 contact hours of laboratory or clinical instruction.

Alternative learning modes are subject to the instructional objectives and outcomes of comparable, traditionally taught courses, but contact hour standards may differ.

Contact hours are expressed by “x+y” where the x equals the course’s lecture contact hours per week and the y equals the course’s lab contact hours per week. Contact hours are calculated based on a 15-week semester. All courses must meet for 15x + 15y contact hours regardless of the number of weeks in which the course is offered.

Prerequisite Courses

Students are expected to meet prerequisites for all courses. Prerequisites are listed with the course description and indicate the preparation and/or background necessary to undertake academic study. Unless otherwise noted, a passing grade (A, B, C, CR or P) is required in order to satisfy the prerequisite. If a student has not met the necessary prerequisites, the student may request permission from the instructor of the course to enroll in the class. It is the responsibility of the department to enter the appropriate override codes that will allow the student to register. A faculty member may withdraw students who enroll without prerequisites or faculty permission.

Corequisite

Corequisites are courses that must be taken concurrently. Students are responsible for enrolling in and attending all corequisite courses in the same semester. Corequisites are listed in the individual course descriptions. A faculty member may withdraw students for not enrolling in the appropriate corequisite(s).

Repeatable Courses

Some courses, such as special topics, may be taken more than once for additional credit. Only courses explicitly noted as repeatable for additional credit in the course description qualify for this option.

Retaking Courses

Any course for which a student has received a transcripted grade may be retaken at the student’s discretion if the course is available and if permitted by the program offering the course. The student’s transcript will reflect all grades earned by the student in each semester in which the course is taken. Only the last chronological grade and credit(s) earned are applied toward graduation requirements, prerequisite fulfillment and the cumulative UAA grade point average (GPA). Courses for which a student has already received a passing grade may not be eligible for financial aid.

The credit/no-credit grading option cannot be selected when courses are being retaken for GPA improvement. Students may not retake a course through credit-by-examination or through work at another college or university for the purpose of raising their GPA at UAA.

To determine eligibility for graduation with honors, all credits and grades from retaken courses are included in GPA calculations.

Registration Restrictions

In addition to prerequisites, registration restrictions are conditions a student must meet before enrolling in a course. Examples include, but are not limited to, admission ­requirements, special approval, level requirements, and special licenses or credentials.

Age Limit of Credits

There is no university-wide undergraduate policy on the age limit of credits. However, to guarantee currency of course content, some departments and degree programs require courses to have been completed within a specified period of time. Contact specific departments for more information.

Study Load

Students may register for a maximum of 19 credits each semester. To register for additional credits, a signed agreement must be submitted at registration. Overload request must be verified by an advisor and the college director’s. To be eligible for overload, students must have a grade point average of 2.75 and be of sophomore standing. For study loads which include non-credit courses, the credit evaluation is based upon credit courses only.