Calendars
   College of Arts & Sciences Academic Calendar
   The University Academic Calendar
Credit Overloads
Declaring a Major
Leave of Absence and University Withdrawal
Transfer Credit from Other Institutions
Transfer of Credit Evaluator

Every major and interdisciplinary program in the College of Arts & Sciences is overseen by a Director of the Undergraduate Program (DUP). The DUP is always a Faculty member from within the program or department and is appointed by the Chair and the Dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences for variable terms.

The DUP serves as a key source of information for students not yet in a major as s/he can answer questions about courses offered by the department, declaring a major, opportunities for majors, major requirements, career opportunities, graduate programs, etc.

The DUP also plays a major role for majors. Depending on the department or program the DUP may oversee some or all of the following activities. Some activities may not be listed here.

• The curriculum for the major (required courses, related courses, etc.).
• Advise on new course descriptions and seek approval from the Committee on Educational Policy and the Curriculum (CEPC).
• Evaluate and approve cross-listed classes.
• Complete Declaration of Major Form with student and assign major advisor.
• Approve students for the Minor.
• Assist new, third-year transfer students who are not yet able to declare a major but also not assigned to an advisor.
• Supervise the Distinguished Majors Programs (in some departments another faculty member serves in this role).
• Review non-UVA credit (the DUP may be the person who assesses transfer credit and decides, with the departmental Faculty, whether or not the credit can count toward a U.Va. degree and/or toward the major.)
• Track the progress of students in the major and certify students for graduation.
• Manage the graduation ceremony.
• Assess study abroad programs and study abroad credit.
• Some majors (especially interdisciplinary majors) allow non-departmental courses to count for the major. In these cases, the DUP must advise students about which UVA credits will count for a major as well as whether any non-College or non-UVA credits will count.
• Schedule classes for future terms.
• Set aside spaces in fall courses for new students during summer orientation.
• In some smaller programs the DUP may function as the faculty advisor for all majors.
• The DUP is a key resource for Faculty inside and outside of the department or program.
• Evaluate undergraduate research projects for grant funding from departmental monies.
• Conduct yearly employment evaluation of the Undergraduate Administrative Assistant.

The College maintains what we call the College Calendaring and Communication tool for faculty advisors and DUPs (see Appendix A or the web site [https://advise.sites.virginia.edu/] for details.

This system includes the following functionality:

• Creation of an online calendar for advising appointments.

• Find a list of all advisees. The list displays name, e-mail, program, year, enroll time (which displays in late October and late March), majors (plans) and advisors, the name of the student’s association, and the name of the student’s association dean. Note: You can find the name of any student’s association dean by using the search field.

• Email advisees individually, as a group, by year or by major.

• DUPs can access lists of majors in and out of the College by year. DUPs can use the email tool to communicate with all majors or with majors by academic year.

If you are unable to select the role of DUP when you select the drop-down menu, please email Rachel Most with a request for access; include the programs you oversee.

Some DUPs find it useful to be able to view data on any student (as opposed to only their advisees). In SIS, this role is officially called “UV SS Advisor Local Admin”; in-house we call it the “über advisor role”.

To request this access please first check to be sure your FERPA training is up to date. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Log into the UVA Workday Self Service site.
2. Within this system you will find the Learning Module modules. Please search for FERPA for UVa Faculty & Staff.
3. Enroll in the course, if necessary, and complete the training. There is no charge and once you complete the training you will receive a certification of your completion. 

Once your FERPA training is complete, send an email to Rachel Most to request the DUP role in SIS (in SIS the role is UV SS Advisor Local Admin).

Double counting one class toward two majors is only permitted under specific circumstances. Please be sure to work with the student and the second major department to determine whether an exception can be made.

Specific rules may be found here and are summarized below.

You can never adjust or modify any general education requirements or degree requirements.
There must be a class that can count toward both majors. 

• Students who double major must submit at least 18 credits in each major.
• Credits applied toward one major may not be included in the core 18 credits of the other major, unless one or both majors is interdisciplinary.
• No more than two courses can be counted simultaneously for two non-interdisciplinary majors; an interdisciplinary major may share up to three courses with another major. Not all programs allow this amount of sharing.
• Departmental approval for double counting courses is required by both departments.
• Credits applied toward a major may not also be applied toward a minor.
• Foreign language courses numbered 1010-2020, 2320 in French, 2060 in Chinese, and 2120 in Portuguese may not be applied towards a minor.
• You may use classes from other departments, but you can never waive credits for a major.

Transfer Credit from Other Institutions

Current UVa students may take academic courses at another institution in the United States provided they have completed a domestic transfer credit approval form and received prior permission from the Dean's Office in the College (see Transfer of Credit, Domestic). Current students may also take academic courses abroad if they are approved by the International Studies Office, have completed the study abroad transfer of credit form and have obtained approval from the College dean’s office.

The College does not permit transfer credit from other domestic schools for students whose GPA is lower than 2.000, who withdrew from the College within the last ten days of the prior semester, or who are currently under suspension. A 2.500 cumulative GPA and 30.00 in-residence credits are required for study abroad.

The domestic transfer credit form is found here.

Study Abroad Forms are not available online. Each student receives a copy of the “College of Arts and Sciences Study Abroad Transfer Credit Approval Form” within the application to study abroad from the ISO.

Undergraduate program directors must approve all transfer credit for the major or minor.

Credit by Examination

The University of Virginia participates in the Advanced Placement Exams (AP Exam) Program of the Educational Testing Service and the International Baccalaureate Examination (IB Exam) Program. Students who receive grades deemed satisfactory by the academic unit to which they seek admission may receive academic credit. We also recognize a variety of international college-level examinations. We base our credit award on our own review as well as recommendation from appropriate undergraduate program directors, as needed. We encourage program directors to advise us regarding credit for the AP, IB, and other college-level examinations.

The Transfer Credit Analyzer

With the help of undergraduate program directors over the last 20 years, we have designed and maintained a College Domestic Transfer of Credit Analyzer that lists most of the courses offered at Virginia community colleges and courses at numerous colleges and universities in the U.S. We encourage you to use the Credit Analyzer for help in determining the UVA credit equivalencies of courses students propose to transfer from other institutions. We update the database as we add new courses and revise previous evaluations, often based on program directors’ recommendations.

Please let us know if you would recommend revisions to the Transfer Credit Analyzer. We depend upon your expertise.

Course equivalencies listed in the database as 1000T, 2000T, etc. represent transferable credit for which the College has no precise equivalent. Such courses may be used for degree credit and with program director approval, toward majors and minors. Only transfer students may use X000T credit to satisfy general education requirements.

At the start of fall semester, new transfer students may come to you with syllabi requesting a more thorough evaluation of courses. You are welcome to email any recommendations for change to Erin O’Donnell at [email protected] to request that she update the student’s SIS report.

Students do not need to fill out the domestic transfer credit approval form for pre-matriculated (PT) transfer credit. If you have any questions about the credit equivalencies database, contact Elizabeth Ozment ([email protected]) or Erin O’Donnell ([email protected]).

Elective Credit

If a course is already listed in the transfer credit equivalencies database, previously enrolled students may transfer the course for elective credit by simply completing a Request for Transfer of Credit Form. If the course is listed in the database, students do not need to obtain departmental approval to transfer elective credit. Undergraduate program directors should feel free to make recommendations regarding courses not already listed in the database but need not do so. You need not meet with students who wish to receive elective transfer credit.

Major and Minor Credit

Undergraduate program directors must approve all transfer credit for the major or minor.

For both domestic and study abroad credit, please sign the form the student brings to you for approval and provide the UVA equivalency (course subject area and number). If there is not a direct match for the course in department curriculum, please use 2000TM, 3000TM, or 4000TM as the course number. “TM” indicates post-matriculated transfer credit for major/minor credit.

If students notify you about a course change while they are abroad, you are welcome to let Abby Holeman know your approval of the course through email ([email protected]). Students need not complete another request to transfer credit form unless you prefer.

Post Approvals

You may notify Erin O’Donnell though email that the student has met with you about post-approvals. It is not necessary for a student to fill out another transfer credit form for post-approval.

All DUPs are encouraged to become very familiar with the Handbook for the Creation and Management of Courses in Arts & Sciences. The following is excerpted from this Handbook.

Courses originate in a department or program. When approved at this level, the Director of Undergraduate Programs or the Chair's designated assistant sends the request (electronically) for approval to Judy Updike, College Registrar, who manages the workflow for the CEPC. After review by the CEPC and approval by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the College Registrar sends the Course Catalog Information form (CCI) and/or Course Catalog Topics form (CCT) to UREG. UREG then contacts the departmental person noted on the CCI and/or CCT form by email when the catalog course record has been created. All communications happen via email and attachments.

A request for approval of a new course consists of three items:

1. A CCI form (click here and scroll down to "For Faculty and Staff")
2. A syllabus that contains a description, course requirements, and a weekly schedule of assigned work and activities.
3. The form Core Competencies in the College ((click here and scroll down to "For Faculty and Staff")

The request to change a course’s characteristics (title, credit hours, description, grading basis, etc.) is made with the CCI form, which is sent to Judy Updike for review by the CEPC. The meeting dates and actions by the CEPC are posted regularly on its website.

Instructions for the use of the CCI and CCT forms are found in the Handbook. The forms can be downloaded from the website at either the CEPC or UREG.

New programs (majors, minors, Distinguished Majors) follow the same route, originating in department curriculum committees and coming to the CEPC for review. The Associate Dean for Academic Programs and the Administrative Chair of CEPC (Mark Hadley) are available for consultation. Department representatives are invited to present their proposals at a meeting of the CEPC.

Changes in the Major and Minor Descriptions

Requests are made electronically to the College Registrar and contain the following:

1. The letter from the Chair or program director explaining and describing the rationale for the change(s).
2. A copy of the current Undergraduate Record entry describing the program to be revised.
3. Catalog-ready copy of the revision, plus any additional supporting materials for Committee consideration.

Departments are invited to consult with the Associate Dean for Academic Programs (Rachel Most) and the Administrative Chair of the Committee (Mark Hadley) prior to the submission of their proposals. They are also invited to attend the meetings of the Committee when the proposal will be discussed. The administrative chair, acting for the Committee, may approve stylistic and other minor changes to the descriptions of programs published in the Record.

Guidelines for Independent Study Classes

Confirmed Changes Effective Fall 2018

Two changes became effective in fall 2018.

1. Only independent study sections with enrollment from the prior “like term” will be carried forward. New sections can be added by the department schedule only after a collaboration between the instructor and the student has been approved.
2. All classes labeled “Independent Study” will be listed as instructor permission. I encourage you to make this change for spring 2018.

Suggestions

If your department/program does not have guidelines for independent study course work, please consider using some (or all) of the following criteria.

• Only fourth-year students may do independent study work (departments can make exceptions). 
• Only majors and minors may do independent study course work. 
• Implement a GPA requirement.* 
• Create and use an application form.
• Request a 1-2 page proposal from the student.
• Require a syllabus from the instructor.
• Require approval by the Chair and/or DUP.
• Determine how many independent study classes, if any, can count toward the major.

* The average GPA for all College students is 3.55; the average GPA for all fourth-year students is 3.51. Almost 91% of College of A&S students (10,161/11,133) have a GPA >3.00 (data are from spring 2022). This is up from 80% (8,511/10,693) at the end of term, spring 2017.

To ensure that topic titles are attached to topics courses (x5xx) and one-time offerings (x559s) before students enroll in their classes, we will zero out the enrollment and turn off the wait list for any class that is missing a topic in SIS. Lou's List is not an official source of information; SIS is the official record of course offerings and topics must be attached to classes in SIS. Please carefully review the information below.

Effective Date: Fall 2022 enrollment cycle (March 2022)

Background: Topic titles describe course content and inform students when they make course selections. When a topic is missing, students don’t get the benefit of making an informed decision prior to enrolling. In addition, topic titles are printed on transcripts so if a topic is missing in SIS, it does not appear on a student’s transcript. Topic titles must appear in SIS to be part of a student’s record.

Rationale: We want to ensure that all topics classes (x5xx) and one-time course offerings (x559) have topic titles showing in each Class Schedule before students enroll in a class. 

Policy: Beginning with enrollment for fall 2022 (in March 2022), if a topic title is missing from a x5xx or x559 course students will not be able to enroll until the topic is attached to the course in SIS. 

What it Means: The enrollment cap will be lowered to 0 and the wait list will be turned off until the topic is: 1. Approved, 2. Added to the Course Catalog, and 3. Scheduled (i.e., added to the Schedule of Classes in SIS). Zeroing the enrollment cap and turning off the wait list will prevent students from enrolling before they know what the class is, but they will be able to see the course in Class Search.

If a course is setup with instructor consent, zeroing the enrollment will not prevent enrollment, so ‘Stop Further Enrollment’ will be used instead. The stop further enrollment function hides a course in Class Search, thereby preventing students from enrolling.

The College and UREG will periodically run reports to identify which x5xx and x559 courses are without a topic and departments will be notified. The Class Search feature typically opens in SIS on a Friday and programs will have until noon the preceding Wednesday to add missing topic titles in SIS. 

We recognize that programs are unique so please let us know if you have any concerns about the new policy. If you think it will create problems, we can meet to discuss potential solutions. Our goal is to ensure the accuracy of academic records and limit the administrative impact on schedulers.

Course Numbering System

Course Level

The initial digit of the course number corresponds to the level, which parallels the three-digit numbering system (e.g., 100-level courses become 1000-level courses). Course numbers below 5000 are undergraduate level, while those numbered 5000-9999 are graduate and/or professional level:

100-999: Non-credit, non-degree: courses, offered primarily by Continuing and Professional Studies, that do not apply to a degree program.
1000-1999: Lower-level introductory undergraduate courses. Generally, there are no prerequisites.
2000-2999: Lower-level intermediate undergraduate courses. May have prerequisites.
3000-3999: Upper-level intermediate undergraduate courses. Likely have prerequisites or require instructor permission.
4000-4999: Upper-level advanced undergraduate courses. Usually have prerequisites or require instructor permission.
5000-5999: Introductory-level graduate courses (open to undergraduate students without special permission).
6000-7999: Intermediate-level graduate and professional courses.
8000-9999: Advanced-level graduate and professional courses.

Designated Numbers

Equivalent (cross-listed) courses are two courses with the same title, description and content. In most cases they have the same course number. Note that any class can fill any major or minor requirement if coded correctly; it does not have to carry the subject code of the major.

The _500 to _599 numbers in each thousand series (e.g., 2500, 2501, 2503, 4500, 8500) are reserved for topics courses, for which a topic title will appear in addition to the course title on a transcript and in the schedule of classes (course offering directory). These courses may include permanent courses offered with variable topics (e.g., Modern American Authors) or courses that allow for one-time offerings as variable topics (e.g., Studies in American Literature).
The numbers _990-_999 in each thousand series (e.g., 2990, 4993, 8998) are designated for special usage:

_990 Honors courses
_991 Capstone courses
_992 not used; reserved for future use
_993 Independent Study courses
_994 not used; reserved for future use
_995 Research courses
_996 not used; reserved for future use
_997 not used; reserved for future use
_998 not used, except for 4998, 8998, and 9998 (8998 and 9998 are research-rate courses for the graduate programs)
4998 Undergraduate Thesis
8998 Thesis Research [before advisor selected]
9998 Dissertation Research [before advisor selected]

_999 not used, except for 4999, 8999, and 9999 (8999 and 9999 are research-rate courses for the graduate programs):
    4999 Undergraduate Thesis
    8999 Thesis Research [after advisor selected]
    9999 Dissertation Research [after advisor selected]

Course Component Definitions

LEC | Lecture
A lecture course consists of classes that meet regularly for a specified number of hours; instruction is delivered in a lecture setting. May include class participation or interactive activities. 

DIS | Discussion
A regular meeting time associated with a lecture and may be overseen by graduate students or teaching assistants. 

SEM | Seminar
Brings together a relatively small group of students (<30) that meet regularly to discuss topics of interest under the direction of the instructor. 
 
LAB | Laboratory
Instructing, preparing, and supervising student investigations; designed to enhance student concept attainment, problem solving and critical thinking.

STO | Studio
A studio class has very few lectures. The instructor guides the students on projects and provides resources as necessary. Class activities build on each other and provide an integrated learning environment. 
        
IND | Independent Study
A self-directed approach to the acquisition of knowledge and/or competence in which a student plans and carries out learning activities on their own, under the guidance of an instructor. 

PRA | Practicum
A course, often in a specialized field of study, that is designed to give students supervised practical application of a previously or concurrently studied theory, knowledge, or skill. 

WKS | Workshop
Like a laboratory; class in which a small group of students learn the methods and skills used in doing something. Manual or specialized work may be conducted.

CLN | Clinical
Students perform clinical work under the supervision of an instructor. 

DRL | Drill
A drill class consists of repetition exercises or activities. 

SPS | Special Session
A special, required class session (e.g., midterm, field trip, etc.) associated with a lecture, seminar, or other course component and that meets outside the course’s regular meeting schedule. 

Regular Course, Topics Course, One-Time Offering Course

Regular Course
A "regular" course is a stand-alone, unique course with its own title and definition. For example, SOC 1010, PSYC 2600, BIOL 3000, STAT 2120.

Topics Course
A topics course is an "umbrella" course for a range of classes in a defined area. ENWR 1510, COLA 1500, AAS 3500, HIUS 4501 and ANTH 4591 are all topics classes and under each a diverse set of classes/topics may be found. The classes offered under the topics course are considered permanent offerings. While a student may not repeat the same topic for credit, the course itself may be repeated as long as the topic is different. For example, a student could take several AAS 3500 classes.
 
AAS 3500 Offerings:

Section 002	TuTh 3:30-4:45PM	New Cabell Hall 395	Development & Environment Africa
Section 003	TuTh 2:00-3:15PM	Wilson Hall 214	Cultures of African Cinema
Section 004	TuTh 9:30-10:45AM	New Cabell 283	Race & Medicine in America

Note these are three very different topics and each section has the topic displayed in SIS, so students know the subject of the class they are enrolling in.

The same topic may be offered multiple times within a term and multiple terms with no limit.

One-Time Offerings (X559)
All courses numbered X559 (e.g., 1559, 2559, 3559, etc.) are reserved for what is called “one-time offerings.”

This number is used when a faculty member wants to pilot a new course, when a new course is created quickly and/or just before a term begins, and when new hires come in late and their courses need to be created immediately. These courses use topic titles just like a topics course, but these offerings may NOT be offered repeatedly; they are one-time offerings. If taught again, they need to request approval to receive a permanent course number and be offered as a topics course or as a stand-alone course.

Note: While regular courses and topics courses may, with CEPC approval, be set up as combined sections or equivalent classes, one-time offerings cannot be combined.

Class Enrollment: Wait List, Class Permission/Permission List, Ad Hoc Permission, Department Consent

Quick Definitions

1. Wait List: The wait list is the default for almost all classes offered by Arts & Sciences. The wait list works automatically and enrolls the first eligible student from the wait list. It is activated when a class fills and turns off when there is space and no one on the wait list.

2. Class Permission/Permission List: When the enrollment in a class is managed through a SIS permission list; students must request permission from the instructor to enroll.

3. Ad Hoc Permission: Ad hoc permission is used to offer enrollment to a small number of students who must enroll and are unable to do so because the class is full or has a pre-requisite the instructor is willing to waive.

4. Department Consent: Department Consent is a department-managed consent system that allows departments to manage which students can and cannot request to enroll in a class. In some cases, departments manage research or thesis classes this way. This should not be used regularly (see below), nor should it be used to block enrollment in a class.

Wait Lists & Permission Lists (More Information on The Differences)