Academic Policies

All CLFS students are expected to familiarize themselves with College and University academic policies. Some of the most important are listed below. It is not a complete list.

Exceptions to Policy:


Exceptions to policy are approved only under rare and extraordinary circumstances.
Petition for Exception to Policy forms are available at 1300 Symons Hall.

University Policies:


A complete guide to University Policies is available in the Undergraduate Catalog.
A few noteworthy policies are the following:

Repeat limit
  • Students may repeat a maximum of 18 credits. Taking a course and dropping it ("W" on transcript) counts as an attempt.
  • Students may attempt a course a maximum of two times. A "W" counts as an attempt.
Transfer credit limit
  • A maximum of 60 credits may apply to degree requirements from a two-year (community college) institution.
  • A maximum of 90 credits may apply to degree requirements from a four-year institution, or combination of institutions.
Taking courses at another institution
  • Students are required to fill out a permission to enroll form available at 1300 Symons Hall BEFORE enrolling in a course at another institution.
  • See the FAQ for more information.
Final thirty credits
  • The final 30 credits of each student's degree must be completed at the University of Maryland.
Academic Probation and Dismissal
  • Students need a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 to be in good academic standing.
  • Students whose cumulative GPA drops below a 2.0 are placed on academic probation.
  • Depending on credit level, consecutive semesters with cumulative GPAs below a 2.0 will result in the student being placed on academic dismissal or continuing on academic probation. Details can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog.
Graduation
  • All students must submit an Application for Graduation to the Office of the Registrar no later than the final day of schedule adjustment in the term during which the student plans on graduating.

College Policies:

Maximum credit limit

  • CLFS students may take a maximum of 17 credits per fall or spring semester, 4 credits per winter semester and 8 credits in a single summer session.
Minimum grade requirement
  • CLFS students need at least a "C" in all required chemistry, biology, math and physics courses.
  • Required courses that are pre-requisites for other courses must be passed with a "C" or better before taking the next course in the sequence.
Benchmarks
  • CLFS students are expected to meet benchmark requirements.
"M" Sections of Classes
  • With permission of the department, some students are eligible to repeat certain laboratory courses with the suffix "M."
  • In an "M" section, students do not repeat the lab portion of the course. Registration for such courses (e.g., BSCI 105M) is limited.
  • "M"sections must be taken within 12 months of the original attempt at the course and if the lab scores they received in the previously attempted course totaled at least 80 percent of the maximum possible total. These scores count for part of the grade in the "M" section repeat.