III. Schedules
A. Definition of Credit Hour and Grade Point. A credit hour is the credit obtained from passing a course requiring approximately 800 minutes of instructional time during a session. Students may need to spend an additional 1,600 minutes preparing and studying, for a total time commitment during the session of 2,400 minutes.
During a 16-week session, this time is normally divided into 50 minutes of instruction per credit hour per week, and 100 minutes of preparation/studying time per credit hour per week, for lecture courses. Laboratory and experiential learning courses may choose a different balance between instructional and preparation/study time, but the total time commitment will still be approximately 2,400 minutes per session.
Grade points for each credit hour are assigned as follows:
1. A - Four (4)
2. B - Three (3)
3. C - Two (2)
4. D - One (1)
5. F - Zero (0)
No grade points are assigned to credit earned for courses taken under the Pass/Fail option. Credit hours scheduled under this option are not used in calculating grade point averages.
B. Permissible Schedules. Undergraduate academic schedules should not require a student to spend more than 3,000 minutes in any week to prepare for, attend, and study for their courses. If the student is enrolled in a single session at a time, this will translate to a maximum number of credit hours of:
-
- 20 credit hours during a 16-week session
- 10 credit hours during an 8-week session
- 5 credit hours during a 4-week session
- 2 credit hours during a 2-week session
- If a student is simultaneously enrolled in a 4-week and 16-week sessions, the following limits apply:
- 1 credit hour in the 4-week session limits the 16-week session enrollment to 16 credit hours
- 2 credit hours in the 4-week session limits the 16-week session enrollment to 12 credit hours
- 3 credit hours in the 4-week session limits the 16-week session enrollment to 8 credit hours
- 4 credit hours in the 4-week session limits the 16-week session enrollment to 4 credit hours
- 5 credit hours in the 4-week session prohibits simultaneous enrollment in a 16-week session
Student schedules which exceed these limits require the permission of the student's academic advisor, and chair of the advising department.
C. Prerequisites. Students will not be admitted to any course (except as a "hearer") unless they have fulfilled all of the prerequisites or co-requisites stated in the catalog, or have obtained permission of the instructor to waive the prerequisites or co-requisites for the course. A course in which the student earned an "I" grade cannot be used for the purpose of satisfying prerequisites.
D. Back Work to be Scheduled First. In making out a schedule of studies back work must be scheduled first. Then required work, advanced work and electives can be scheduled in the order named. Incompletes cannot be scheduled, but the student must arrange with the instructor concerned to do whatever work is necessary to remove the incomplete (see Section VIII.B, Time Limit for Removing Incompletes).
E. Credit Required for Degree.
1. Residency Requirement (Last 60 Hours). An undergraduate student may be granted an earned degree only if the student completes the last 60 hours toward the degree in residence at Missouri S&T. A student may, with departmental approval, take up to 15 of this 60 hours off campus. If the student wishes to exceed 15 hours (of the last 60) taken off campus, the student must obtain approval from the provost upon recommendation of the student's department chair.
2. Total Credit Hours. In order to receive a bachelor's degree, the student must obtain credit in all of the required subjects listed in one of the curricula and sufficient additional credit in approved electives. The total credits required for the Bachelor’s degree varies depending on the degree program, with no program consisting of less than 120 credits.
3. Dual Degrees.
a. Bachelor of Science. Combination curricula leading to two baccalaureate degrees can be arranged in any two fields. The amount of additional credit required for the second baccalaureate degree will be based on the student's educational background and determined for each case by the academic department which offers the curriculum leading to the second degree. The chair of the department will submit a list of the specific course and credit hour requirements along with the student's transcript to the dean's office for approval. This list will then be forwarded to the Registrar and will constitute the official requirement for the second degree. A student entering Missouri S&T with a baccalaureate degree must take a minimum of 30 hours to receive another baccalaureate degree. Students are directed to the Missouri S&T Catalog for course requirements and regulations concerning the catalog to be used for degree programs.
b. Bachelor of Arts. Since the BA degree is unspecified as to major, there will be no dual Bachelor of Arts degree offerings.
c. Awarding of Degrees. When requirements for a degree in two departments have been completed without either degree being awarded, both degrees may be awarded at the same commencement.
4. Limits on Short Sessions. Undergraduate students may not normally use more than 60 credit hours taken in sessions shorter than 15 weeks toward their Bachelor's degree. In addition, there may be no more than 30 credit hours from sessions shorter than 7 weeks, and no more than 15 hours from sessions shorter than 3 weeks in length. All limits may be increased by up to 20% with approval of the student's academic advisor and chair of the advising department.
F. Registration for Credit in Excess of Graduation Requirements. Undergraduate students may take courses in excess of undergraduate requirements even if they are not dually enrolled on the recommendation of the student's advisor. Such courses shall be so designated on the student's official schedule and transcript. The student may later request consideration from a Graduate School for use of these courses toward a degree. However, the student is advised that credit in excess of undergraduate requirements normally may not be applied toward a graduate degree at Missouri S&T or other campuses of the University of Missouri System except under dual enrollment. It is recommended that the student consult the catalog of the graduate school of their choice relative to the requirements of such transfers. One such requirement may relate to limitation on maximum allowable credit hours taken during the semester concerned.
1. No attempt will be made by the Registrar to notify the instructor of courses that have been designated in excess of undergraduate requirements.
G. Grade Points Required for Degree. In order to receive the bachelor's degree the student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.000. All students transferring to Missouri S&T must achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.000 in courses taken at Missouri S&T for graduation. In order to graduate, students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.000 in courses taken in their major department. In departments that offer more than one major, the 2.000 must be in the major discipline within that department.
H. Repeated Course Grades. An undergraduate student may not enroll in a course for credit if they have completed the course in a previous semester and earned a grade of “C” or higher. Students are allowed to enroll in such courses as a “hearer.” This rule does not apply to courses that are officially designated as “repeatable courses.”
I. Public Recognition of High Scholarship. On the commencement program will be listed the following:
1. Names of students graduating Summa Cum Laude, having a UM cumulative GPA of 3.800 or better.
2. Names of students graduating Magna Cum Laude, having a UM cumulative GPA of 3.500 to 3.799.
3. Names of students graduating Cum Laude, having a UM cumulative GPA of 3.200 to 3.499.
4. Membership lists of Honorary Societies Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Gamma Epsilon and Sigma Xi.
A student in good financial standing may obtain from the Office of the Registrar at any time a certificate stating the studies pursued and the grades obtained.
Follow Office of the Registrar