STANDARDS, REGULATIONS, AND PROCEDURES
Academic Regulations
Requirements and Standards
Sections below designated by asterisks* do not apply to the College of Public and Community Service. For further information about CPCS regulations and procedures, see the section of this publication on the College of Public and Community Service. Please note also that individual college or program requirements and policies may in some areas be more restrictive than those described here. Please see individual college sections for complete information.
Graduation Requirements*
To receive a bachelor’s degree, a student must (a) meet the requirements of a major department or professional program; (b) fulfill the general education requirements of the university as interpreted by his or her college, school, or professional program (these include the First-Year and Intermediate Seminars; the Freshman Composition and Writing Proficiency requirements; Quantitative Reasoning; Diversity; and the various Distribution Areas); (c) maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative average; and (d) successfully complete at least 120 credit hours (123 for nursing majors). This total must include a minimum of 30 residency credits at the university. For students admitted to the university prior to the fall of 1979, this total must include 45 residency credits. Note: further information about graduation requirements appears in the sections of this catalog in which individual colleges, schools, and programs are described.
Transfer Credit Policies
UMass Boston will accept no more than 90 transfer credits toward a bachelor’s degree (or, in the case of students admitted prior to the fall of 1979, 75 credits). There is one exception to this rule: for the BS in nursing, the transfer credit maximum is 93.
UMass Boston will accept no more than 70 transfer credits from two-year colleges (colleges granting no degree higher than the associate’s degree) toward a bachelor’s degree.
Any currently enrolled UMass Boston student who wishes to transfer credits from a course taken at another institution must obtain UMass Boston approval before taking that course. Approval forms are available at The One Stop. Students should be aware that departmental, college, or university policy may prohibit transferring certain credits or make credits inapplicable to certain requirements.
A student is considered “currently enrolled” if the student is registered for at least one UMass Boston course or if the student has been registered at UMass Boston during one semester and expects to be registered at UMass Boston during the following semester. A currently enrolled student will therefore need prior approval to take a summer- or winter-session course at another institution.
Departmental and University Honors*
A student may graduate with honors in his or her major field by meeting the requirements of a departmental honors committee, which usually involve successful completion of an honors thesis or seminar or attainment of a 3.5 average in the field. Admission to honors work is governed by the departmental honors committee, although a cumulative average of 3.0 is required of honors students in all departments. Students may count up to six hours of honors work toward graduation, whether or not it meets departmental standards for honors.
The University Honors Program offers an enriched curriculum outside the major to academically talented students. For complete information, see the “University Honors Program” section of this publication.
Each college names students to its Dean’s List based on semester grade point average. This distinction is entered on the student’s transcript and acknowledged by a congratulatory card or letter. The colleges also elect students to membership in various national honor societies, and hold annual Honors Convocations at which outstanding student achievement is recognized.
The University bestows three separate honors designations for scholastic excellence reflected in the cumulative average:
Summa cum laude 3.75 or above
Magna cum laude 3.50 to 3.74 inclusive
Cum laude 3.30 to 3.49 inclusive
A special seal affixed to the student’s diploma reflects the bestowal of an honors designation.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes. No administrative control of attendance is exercised except as hereinafter provided. In case of illness, students should explain their absence directly to their instructors. Grades shall not be reduced because of absences due to illness when students have met their instructors’ requirements for making up back work. Students may report illnesses to the university Health Service, which will verify dates of illness if requested by faculty members.
Course Load for Full-time Students*
Full-time freshmen and sophomores normally carry four courses for 12 credit hours; full-time juniors and seniors normally carry five courses for 15 credit hours. A junior or senior science major may carry a course load of 18 credits. A student with a cumulative average of at least 3.0 overall (or at least 3.5 in the most recently completed semester) may take one extra course in excess of 18 credit hours with the permission of his or her advisor. Students in the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Science and Mathematics must obtain such permission from the Office of Undergraduate Education.
Administrative Procedures
Transfer Records*
The cumulative average of a transfer student at a former school is not carried over to the university. The student begins to achieve a new cumulative average upon enrollment. A transfer student cannot be dismissed for poor grades in the first semester at the university but, for all subsequent semesters, the student must attain the cumulative average necessary for good standing in the class to which he or she was assigned (see the section on “Academic Standing”).
Registration
Registration Policy: New students and continuing students who are in good academic and financial standing with the university may register. A student who wishes to obtain a degree from the university must be formally admitted to a program. Applications and information may be obtained at the Admissions Office, or by calling the Enrollment Information Service at 617.287.6000. TTY/TDD for the hearing impaired is 617.287.6010. E-mail is bos.admis@umassp.edu.
A matriculated student who has not been continuously enrolled must file an application for readmission with The One Stop.
Registration Procedures: All currently enrolled students in good academic and financial standing are expected to register, using the Touch-Tone Registration System or the Web, during a registration period near the end of each semester, for the following semester. Complete information about dates, procedures, billing, advising schedules, and locations is available at The One Stop during the registration period. Bills are mailed to students who register.
Registration During the “Add/Drop Period”: New, readmitted, or non-degree students may register during the Add/Drop Period at the beginning of the semester for which they are registering.
Late Registration Policy: All continuing degree-seeking and certificate students must register during the Registration Period; all new, readmitted, or non-degree students must be registered by the end of the Add/Drop Period. Otherwise these students will be assessed late registration fees of $50.00.
Course Changes
Students may add, drop, or substitute courses without notation of change on their records during the Add/Drop Period—usually five days at the beginning of each semester. Students are academically as well as financially liable for all courses not officially dropped during the Add/Drop Period. To add/drop, a student should
- drop all courses using the Online or Touch-Tone Registration System
- use the Online or Touch-Tone Registration System to add most courses (refer to the Schedule of Courses Book)
- pick up an Add Form in The One Stop to add specific courses (refer to the Schedule of Courses Booklet)
Course Withdrawal Option
After the Add/Drop Period, and within the published course withdrawal date, a student may withdraw from individual courses using the Online or Touch-Tone Registration System. The grade of “W,” given for withdrawn courses, will remain on the student’s record but will not be calculated in the cumulative quality point average. To withdraw from a course a student must access the Online Registration System or call the Touch-Tone Registration System after the end of the Add/Drop period and before the published course withdrawal deadline. Instructions and deadlines are listed on the Course Pass/Fail & Course Withdrawal Worksheet in the Schedule of Courses book, available each semester from The One Stop.
Please note:
- Withdrawal from a course cannot be cancelled after the deadline.
- No refund is issued for course withdrawals.
- Failure to attend class does not constitute an automatic withdrawal.
- If the course a student wishes to withdraw from is a Continuing Education course, the student must contact the Division of Corporate, Continuing and Distance Education directly at 617.287.7900 or visit the office in room 203 on the second floor of Wheatley.
- Any student who does not complete the requirements for a course, who does not secure approval for a grade of “INC” (Incomplete) in the course, and who does not withdraw from the course by following the withdrawal procedure described above, will receive a grade of “F” in that course at the end of the semester unless the instructor has submitted the grade of “NA” for the student during the third week of classes.
Change of Major*
A student who has declared a major field and wishes to change it within the same college must obtain a “Change of Major” form from The One Stop. The student must then consult with, and obtain the written approval of, the chairperson of the new major department, and return the completed form to The One Stop. This form may also be used to declare a second major or a minor.
Final Examination Schedule Changes
A student may have a final examination re-scheduled if he or she has two examinations scheduled at the same time or three examinations scheduled on the same day. The student should request such a change from the instructors involved.
Inter-college Transfer
UMass Boston students wishing to change their collegiate affiliation from CLA to CSM or vice versa can do so by simply changing their major (see above). Students wishing to make any other collegiate affiliation changes (for instance, from CLA to CNHS or from CM to CSM) must obtain an InterCollege Transfer
Form from The One Stop and follow the written directions accompanying that form. Notification of approval of the transfer and information regarding registration for courses for the following semester will come from the new college.
Applying for a Second UMass Boston Undergraduate Degree
UMass Boston students wishing to seek a second undergraduate degree from the university may obtain a Second Degree Application from The One Stop. To apply for a second degree, submit this application form, with all college transcripts, to the Student Services Office of the college from which you wish to earn a second degree. Notification of approval will come from the college; course registration information will come from the Registrar’s Office.
Grading
Letter Grades, Numerical Equivalents, and Cumulative Averages*
The University uses a system of letter grades which are equivalent to numerical “quality points” according to the following list:
| Letter Grade | Quality Point Equivalent |
| A | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.75 |
| B+ | 3.25 |
| B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.75 |
| C+ | 2.25 |
| C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.75 |
| D+ | 1.25 |
| D | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.75 min. passing |
| F | 0.00 fail |
| INC | Incomplete |
| P | Passing, under Pass/Fail Option (see below) |
| Y | Interim grade in a declared year-long course |
| W | Withdrawn |
| NA | Not Attending |
The quality points for each grade are multiplied by the number of credits for the course, and the totals for all courses added to arrive at the student’s cumulative quality point figure. The cumulative quality point figure is divided by the number of cumulative credit hours to obtain the grade point average.
The Pass/Fail Option*
While working towards an undergraduate degree, a student may select one, but no more than one, course each semester, up to a maximum of eight, to be taken on a pass/fail basis. (Mandatory pass/fail courses are not counted toward this limit.) The grade of “P” will be given for a successfully completed Pass/Fail course; it will be included in credit toward graduation, but not in the cumulative grade point average. The grade of “F” will count as a failure. When students opt for the pass/fail grade, they may not be held to a higher standard for receiving a pass than the general
standard. That is, a grade of D- or better earns a pass. An instructor may not impose any other minimum grade (a C, for instance) for assigning a pass. To enroll in a course on a pass/fail basis, a student must call the Online or Touch-Tone Registration System after the end of the Add/Drop period and before the published pass/fail deadline. Instructions and deadlines are listed on the Course Pass/Fail & Course Withdrawal Worksheet in the course schedule book, available each semester from The One Stop.
Please note that 1) a pass/fail selection cannot be cancelled after the published pass/fail deadline; 2) students should carefully check their college and major, department, or professional program requirements with respect to pass/fail courses before exercising the pass/fail option; and 3) if the selected course a student wishes to enroll in on a pass/fail basis is offered through the Division of Corporate, Continuing, and Distance Education, the student must contact the Division directly at 617.287.7900, or visit the office: room 203 on the second floor of Wheatley Hall.
The Not-Attending (NA) Grade
The Not-Attending (NA) grade signifies that although a student registers for a course and appears on the class roster, the student never attended the class. The faculty member has the option of submitting an NA grade by the third week of classes. The NA grade is not a substitute for dropping a course, since a student is still responsible for all tuition and fee charges for courses designated NA on his/her record. The NA grade has no effect on the student’s cumulative grade point average, nor on a student’s financial aid award package. Note: VA benefits may be affected. For information about VA benefits contact the Office of Veterans Affairs at 617.287.5875.
The Incomplete (INC) Grade*
The incomplete (INC) grade is reported only where a portion of the assigned or required class work, or the final examination, has not been completed because of serious illness, extreme personal circumstances, or scholarly reasons at the request of the instructor. A student who would fail the course regardless of the missing work will not receive an incomplete, but will fail the course.
A student wishing to receive the INC grade must obtain the instructor’s permission and must fill out the “Grade Incomplete” form, available from the appropriate departmental office. A student receiving the grade of Incomplete is allowed one full year in which to complete the course. The new grade must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the grading deadline for that semester, i.e., by the end of the next fall semester for fall incompletes; by the end of the next spring semester for spring incompletes. The grade for any course not completed by this deadline will be converted to the grade of “F”, and the student will not be allowed to complete the course.
Failed Courses*
A failed course required for a degree must be repeated within the time limit established. If it is repeated and passed, the original failure will not be computed in the cumulative average, although it will remain on the student’s record.
Retaking Courses*
As a rule, a student may retake a course once, regardless of the grade received the first time. In such cases, both grades will appear on the transcript, but only the second grade will count toward the student’s cumulative average. A total of four courses may be retaken, one time each. In all cases, the second iteration of the course must be identical to the first.
Exceptions to this rule are as follows:
- A student may not retake a course if it is a prerequisite for a more advanced course that he or she has already taken and passed. For example, a student who has passed Spanish 102 may not retake Spanish 101.
- Certain courses (many Special Topics and Independent Study courses, among others) have been designated as “repeatable for credit.” A poor grade in such a course cannot be replaced by a grade from a later retake of the course. Instead, each grade will count toward the student’s cumulative average, and each time the student passes such a course s/he will earn credits. For a complete listing of undergraduate courses of this kind, check with the Office of Undergraduate Education.
- Certain colleges and/or majors may have stricter limitations on which or how many courses may be retaken. Students are advised to check with their major departments before retaking any course.
If a student urgently needs to retake an undergraduate course (for example, to meet a major requirement), but the policy described above prohibits doing so, he or she may appeal before registering to the Office of Undergraduate Education. Under no circumstances, however, will a student be allowed to retake a prerequisite for a more advanced course that has already been passed.
: A student may repeat the equivalent of a UMass Boston course at another institution, and receive transfer credit for that course, only if the student originally received an F in the UMass Boston course.
Regulations Governing Academic Standing
Students must maintain a required minimum 2.00 cumulative average.
Academic Good Standing: A student is in good standing if he or she maintains a 2.0 or higher cumulative average.
Academic Warning: A student whose semester average falls below 2.00 but whose cumulative average still meets the required minimum receives a warning posted in an obvious place on the online degree audit system to put the student on notice.
Academic Probation: At the end of the first semester in which a student does not meet the required minimum cumulative average of 2.0, he or she is placed on probation. A letter is sent informing the student of his or her probationary status and strongly urging consultation with the student’s advisor to review the forthcoming semester’s program.
While on academic probation, a student shall not be eligible to hold office in any recognized student organization, to represent the university in any sense, or to participate on any intercollegiate athletic team.
Academic Suspension: The student who does not meet the required minimum cumulative average for the second consecutive semester is suspended for one semester. The student must apply for readmission through the appropriate authority. The readmitting body may set conditions on the student’s schedule, and shall set standards for retention. A student who has received a semester average of at least 2.0 for the semester immediately preceding suspension may appeal for an additional probationary period. The appeal authority may set conditions for granting the appeal. If the student does not meet the conditions, suspension will automatically follow.
Academic Dismissal: A student who, subsequent to suspension and readmission, does not meet the retention standards set by the readmitting body shall be dismissed. A student who has been dismissed may appeal for readmission after one year.
A student who is suspended or dismissed may not enroll as a Special Student and may not take courses through the Division of Corporate, Continuing, and Distance Education (either in the regular semester or during summer or winter sessions).
Note: These minimum retention standards may be subject to more restrictive collegiate policy. They do not apply where a cumulative grade point average is not tabulated.
Voluntary Withdrawal
Students may withdraw from the university before the last day of classes of a semester, although the effective date of withdrawal is that on which all forms are completed, signed and returned to the Office of the Registrar. Students withdrawing receive a “W” for each course in which they are enrolled. Failure to complete a withdrawal form will result in the recording of the grade of “F” for all courses at the end of the term. To withdraw from the university, a student must do the following:
- consult with a member of the university Advising Center, who will provide and sign a withdrawal form;
- receive clearance from any University office in which financial charges have been accrued. These offices may be the library, the Health Services Office, the Bursar’s Office, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, the Office of Financial Aid Services, the bookstore, and the science laboratories.
Readmission to the University
Students who leave the university in good standing may resume their studies by obtaining a readmission form from The One Stop, completing it, and returning it to that Office, with a readmission fee of $25.00 in a check or money order made payable to the university of Massachusetts Boston. They will be notified in writing of their readmission status.
Students who have been dismissed from the university and wish to resume their education should pick up and complete a readmission form from The One Stop, which will provide college-specific guidelines, and write a letter of appeal addressed to the relevant committee of the college to which they are attempting to gain readmission.
All previous course work at the university remains part of the permanent record for students who have been readmitted, and the cumulative average includes all prior grades, regardless of how much time elapsed between enrollments. Please note: Students who are absent from the university for four or more consecutive semesters are subject to all requirements and policies in effect the semester they return.
Deadlines for Receipt of Readmission Forms
Students wishing to re-enter the university in the fall semester must have their readmission forms received by June 1, and in the spring semester by November 1. After these dates, readmission will be permitted only upon the availability of space.
Leave of Absence
Degree-seeking (matriculated) students intending to complete a degree at UMass Boston may take a leave of absence from the university for one or more semesters. They may request such a leave at any point during a semester before the last day of classes. Students taking a leave of absence receive a “W” for each course in which they are enrolled.
Please note: Re-enrollment after a leave of absence is automatic, but students resuming their studies must obtain forms from The One Stop and complete them by June 1 for fall term resumption and November 1 for spring term resumption. There is a $25.00 re-enrollment fee.
Certificate Students
Certificate students are subject to the same regulations on academic standing as matriculated students.
Non-degree Students*
Non-degree students are subject to the same retention standards as degree-seeking students, namely a minimum 2.0 grade point average.
A non-degree student who does not meet these retention standards shall be dismissed. Non-degree students wishing to appeal a dismissal must do so through the Registrar’s Office.