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Credit Taken in Residence at Bradley

Student Course Load

Twelve semester hours is the minimum load for a full-time student during spring or fall semesters. The regular load is prescribed by the college in which the student is enrolled. A student must petition to enroll in excess hours (more than 18 1/2 hours in a regular semester). The authority to approve petitions for excess hours shall be vested in the dean of the college in which the student is registered.

Summer and interim sessions are shorter terms with the following maximum course loads: January Interim students can earn up to four semester hours in classes that meet for approximately two weeks. In May Interim I, a three-week term, students can earn up to four semester hours; in May Interim II, an eight-week term, students can earn up to seven semester hours. Summer Session I, beginning in June, and Summer Session II, beginning in July, are four-week programs in which students can earn up to seven semester hours of credit in each term.

One credit hour is usually assigned to a class that meets 50 minutes a week over a period of a semester. In laboratory, fieldwork, or similar type of instruction, one credit hour is assigned for a session that meets two or three hours a week for a semester.

An Undergraduate Student-at-Large (non-degree-seeking) may not take 12 or more semester hours during either fall or spring semesters except with approval. A maximum of 45 semester hours taken as an Undergraduate Student-at-Large can be accepted toward a degree program. Students who are uncertain about their interest in pursuing a degree are strongly encouraged to apply for admission to a degree program rather than enroll as an Undergraduate Student-at-Large.

All courses taken for credit for which a student is registered at Bradley or elsewhere are counted as part of the total semester hour load the student is permitted to carry.

Student Class Standing

  • Freshman: fewer than 24 semester hours of credit.
  • Sophomore: at least 24 but fewer than 56 semester hours of credit.
  • Junior: at least 56 but fewer than 90 semester hours of credit.
  • Senior: 90 or more semester hours of credit.

Change of Student Status (Full-Time or Part-Time)

Ordinarily, the classification of full-time students will not be changed after the second week of classes even though the course load drops below 12 semester hours. In cases where this rule creates undue hardship, the dean of the college involved, upon the student’s request, may suspend this rule.

Prerequisites

Students should understand that listed prerequisites may be met through equivalent courses. Please consult your academic advisor if you have a question about prerequisites.

Students who enroll in courses for which they do not meet the prescribed prerequisites may be required to withdraw from the courses.

Course Numbering System

The following course numbering system is used as a guide for students in selecting courses: courses numbered 100-199 are planned primarily for freshmen. Courses numbered 200-299 are intended primarily for sophomores. Courses numbered 300-499 are designed primarily for juniors and seniors. Courses numbered 500-599 are open only to seniors, graduate students and specially qualified juniors. Courses numbered 600-699 are reserved for graduate students only.

Please consult the all-University, college, and departmental requirements for the number of semester hours needed at specific course levels.

Repeated Courses

The University Senate has designated some courses as repeatable up to a specified number of credit hours. For all other courses, the following policy applies. A student at Bradley may not receive credit for the same course twice. However, a student is permitted to repeat courses within one year after completion; thereafter permission to repeat a course must be obtained from the dean of the college in which the student is registered. The last grade and credits earned for each course shall be the only ones used in computing the grade point calculations and in satisfying graduation requirements. However, the entry on the permanent record for both enrollments remain. (Proficiency exams cannot be used for repeating courses because credit earned in this manner is not used in grade point calculations.)

If a student registers again for a course which is already a part of the scholastic record and the number of the course has changed since the original enrollment, permission to substitute a course must be obtained from the dean of the college which offered the course being repeated.

Auditing Courses

All Bradley students (undergraduate, graduate, full-time and part-time) in good academic standing registered for a given academic term, along with individuals admitted “at large,” for a given academic term may request permission to enroll as an “auditor.” Permission to audit a course must be approved by both the instructor and the chairperson of the department offering the course. Enrollment is contingent on having available space in the class. Except in special circumstances to be determined by the instructor and department chairperson, courses involving laboratory or studio work cannot be audited. Only regular students and auditors listed on the official class roster are allowed to attend class. Forms for audit registration are available in the Registrar’s Office or online. Audit registrations are accepted by the Registrar’s Office only after the first day of classes of each academic term.

The extent to which an auditor participates in a course and the requirements for satisfactory performance must be specified by the instructor when approval is granted. Instructors are not obligated to grade any course work performed by the auditor. Courses taken for audit do not earn academic credit, do not apply toward any academic degree and do not count toward a student’s full-time or part-time load for purposes of financial aid, loan deferments or visa status. Courses taken for audit are recorded on the student’s permanent academic record as completed satisfactorily (“X”), completed unsatisfactorily (“UX”), or withdrawn (“W”).

After the last day for adding classes with special permission, anyone who is registered as an auditor may not change the audit registration to a “for credit” status, i.e. a regular registration; likewise, a student registered for credit may not change to audit status. Deadlines associated with courses taken for credit and courses taken for audit are identical. All individuals will be charged a non-refundable fee for audited courses. The current fee is published in the Schedule of Classes. Persons who have audited a course may petition to earn credit by proficiency examination; however, the charge for a proficiency examination for credit is based on the standard tuition structure determined by the Controller’s Office with a credit granted for charges associated with auditing.